Rhett Meets Cat
by Sw and Kat
Summary: **New Chapter Added!** What would have happened if Scarlett had told Rhett about Cat?
1. The Foundation Letters

This started off as a Letter Round Robin on Sw's yahoo group (visit us at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoneWithTheWind_FanFiction/) and escalated into me and Sw writing it between the two of us.  
  
Enjoy,  
  
Kat  
  
Aka Daddysxlilxprincess  
  
  
  
These are the letters that started it all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rhett,  
  
Or should I have started this letter with Mr. Butler? Seeing as we were married at one time, I hope you won't think ill of me for addressing you as Rhett.  
  
But I feel the news I'm about to tell you is something that warrants the informal address. I've kept something from you Rhett, something very important.  
  
And I know your going to be very upset at me. But please before you fly off the handle like I know you will, remember it's your fault you're the one that divorced me before I could turn around. Rhett, while on the ship to visit my kin I learned I was pregnant with your child. But like I just stated, before I could get back to America and tell you the happy news you had divorced me and remarried. There was no way under the sun I was going to tell you after that and allow you to take my child from me.  
  
You have a daughter, Rhett, her name is Katie Colum O'Hara and she was born on Halloween, she just turned three. She's full of life and looks just like you. The only visible sign she's my daughter is her green cat like eyes. That's why I nicknamed her Cat.  
  
Why I'm telling you this now after all these years I don't rightfully know. Perhaps it's because Cat asked me last night who her Daddy was? Or the fact she would love to meet you. It isn't fair to Cat or you, Rhett, both of you deserve to know the other.  
  
I hope by the time you travel here to meet our daughter you will have remembered that my keeping her a secret from you wasn't all my fault. Take care Rhett,  
  
~Scarlett O'Hara~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Scarlett,  
  
How dare you keep my child from me? I knew that you were capable of great deceit, but not to this extent. I can't believe this. I have a daughter. After all these years, thinking I would never be a father again, I have another daughter. Have you told Cat about her sister? Never mind, I'll find out soon enough. Regretfully, the next ship to Ireland doesn't leave for three weeks.  
  
Just because I am overjoyed that I am a father once more, Scarlett, I'm upset with you. You know how much I would love any child of mine, how could you keep my daughter from me? I know there were certain circumstances in play, but you could have written me long ago. It pains me to think that I missed Cat's first three years. I'm her father and she doesn't even know me. It wasn't fair to her either, Scarlett, she deserved to have a father.  
  
I hope we can put all that behind us, though. I want desperately to get to know Cat.  
  
RKB  
  
  
  
  
  
Dear Rhett,  
  
I apologize for keeping Cat from you for the last three years. I know that you are angry with me for that, but as I explained before, I had my reasons.  
  
When I found out I was pregnant, I had every intention of telling you right away. But when I discovered that you had divorced me and married Anne, I was devastated. I was certain that if you knew about the baby, you would take her away from me, as you practically did with Bonnie. I couldn't let that happen!  
  
I never doubted that you would love this child...you were always wonderful with Bonnie. But how could I have been certain that you wouldn't take her from me? Had you known that I was carrying your child, what would you have done? You had already divorced me and married Anne. I was sure that you no longer wanted me in your life. I  
  
remember how important Bonnie was to you and I thought the only thing you would do was to take this baby from me and I couldn't let that happen.  
  
Please understand, Rhett, I don't want to deny you your child...That is why I am telling you about her now. You both deserve to know each other. I have realized the mistake that I have made by not telling you about your daughter from the beginning. And you know how I hate to admit when I am wrong about anything. Please, Rhett, tell me that  
  
you won't take her from me. I love her with all of my heart and soul. I couldn't bear to lose her as I did Bonnie. Cat is my life.  
  
Scarlett  
  
(Brandie)  
  
  
  
Scarlett,  
  
This letter should arrive a week before I do. Please make the arrangements for my stay. I hope my staying in your house doesn't bother you, but I feel it's the only way I can spend enough time with Cat.  
  
After you having denied me, so much time already with her. I'm counting on you not to be troubled by this. Anne will be coming with me as will my Mother she can't wait to meet her only grandchild.  
  
As for taking Cat away from you, if what you say about her being your life is true. You have my word I won't take her from you. But that doesn't mean I won't want to spend time with my daughter.  
  
I'm hoping we can all act as Adults in this. So Cat doesn't suffer. She is what's important in this matter, Scarlett, not I or you. Please remember this. I will see you soon.  
  
~RKB~ 


	2. Chapter 1 (Kat)

Scarlett had a strange almost queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach when she read the letter from Rhett. She couldn't believe that he was bringing Anne with him. "I never should have told him" Scarlett thought, knowing that was untrue. Rhett and Cat deserved to know each other. When she had first written Rhett she had known he  
  
would come to Ireland, but how dare he bring his wife? Didn't he know how badly that would hurt her? "Maybe he wants to hurt me because he's mad I didn't tell him about Cat." she thought. Oh, the man had no tact! Scarlett was nervous enough that she was going to see her beloved for the first time in three long years. Not a day had gone by  
  
that she hadn't thought of him, that she hadn't wished she were lying in his arms at night. It made her ill to think of Rhett holding Anne in his strong embrace. Not a day went by when she didn't think about how differently she could've handled things, how they could still be together. Over the years she had been able to push thoughts of Rhett  
  
to the back of her mind during the day, but at night they always came back. She thought of the last time she had seen him. It was the day of the shipwreck, the very day Cat had been conceived. Scarlett thought of how he had called her his love and his life, how they had made love. How she had thought all their troubles were past and they  
  
could live happily together. Then he had said those horrible things to her in the cabin, and all her dreams had crashed down again. He had made her feel so used, how could he always do that? Rhett could  
  
always make her feel just like one of Belle Watling's girls.  
  
Scarlett's reverie was interrupted by the entrance of her daughter into the office.  
  
"Hello Cat darling" Scarlett said warmly. Cat always brought out all the warmth and love in her.  
  
"Hi Mommy" Cat chirped and climbed up into Scarlett's lap for a cuddle.  
  
"What where you up to, Kittycat?"  
  
"I was playing in my tower" Cat said.  
  
"Did you have a good time?"  
  
"No! There was a monster hiding in the corner. But I threw a blanket on him and he died." Cat beamed with pride at this great undertaking.  
  
"Well that will teach the other monsters to never come and bother you." Scarlett said as she tried to fight back a laugh. "Cat do you remember when you asked me about your father?" Cat cocked her head to the side and bit her bottom lip.  
  
"Ummmmm...yes, a little" she said  
  
"Well guess what? Your daddy is coming all the way from America to see you!"  
  
"Really? I didn't think I had a daddy!"  
  
"You do, and he's going to be here in a week. Now darling, there's something you have to know. Your daddy and I aren't married anymore, not like most mommies and daddies. Your daddy is married to another lady her name is Anne. She's coming with your daddy and so is your grandmother. They all really want to see you, Cat. And your daddy, he loves you very much, even though he's never seen you. What do you think about that, darling?"  
  
"I don't know, Mommy. Is my daddy nice?"  
  
"Yes he is. He's going to be very, very nice to you because he loves you so much." Scarlett said, thinking of how wonderful he had been to Bonnie.  
  
"Then I can't wait to meet him." Cat said.  
  
"Neither can I" Scarlett said mostly to herself. 


	3. Chapter 2 (sw)

Anne had left Rhett and Miss Eleanor to look at the ocean. She couldn't stand to hear the two talk about Cat once more. They hadn't even seen the child, and yet they already loved her more then Anne was comfortable with.  
  
It wasn't that she hated the child, she hadn't even seen her so how could she hate her? But it was the thought that Scarlett had bested her once again that ate at Anne.  
  
She had, since marrying Rhett, always been compared to Scarlett. She knew what they all said behind her back. That she wasn't as pretty as Rhett's first wife or that Rhett didn't love her, like he did Scarlett. When she had lost their baby, she was sure she had finally done something  
  
Scarlett hadn't. But no; Rhett had told her that Scarlett had had a miscarriage as well, and like her almost died.  
  
No matter what Anne did, Scarlett had done it before. Rhett had wanted a child so badly that she had hoped soon he would come to her, forget the risk, and take her in his arms once more. But, if indeed this child was his, that dream was over. Rhett would never willingly put her life in danger if he already had a child.  
  
A child that should have been hers by all rights not Scarlett's. So the only thing that kept Anne from screaming her head off was the fact, she made herself believe Scarlett's daughter wasn't Rhett's it couldn't be. This was all a lie by a former wife who wanted her ex back.  
  
As soon as Rhett saw the child he would see through Scarlett's lies. And that would be the end of this. It had to be the end of this. Because, if it wasn't, would Rhett regret the decision he had made in divorcing Scarlett and marrying her?  
  
No, Scarlett wasn't going to win. In the end Rhett belonged to her, and the former Mrs. Butler would end up with nothing but a child who had no father. 


	4. Chapter 3 (Kat)

On the day that Rhett was to arrive Scarlett dressed herself and Cat in extra care. She had tied blue bows into Cat's jet-black hair. But when Scarlett looked at her daughter she recalled Bonnie wearing blue ribbons in her hair the same way and she took them out. The last thing she wanted was for Rhett to look at Cat and see Bonnie. As Scarlett dressed herself she looked in the mirror and wondered why she was trying to make herself look pretty. There was really no use seeing as she had to wear this confounded mourning. Rhett was bringing his wife to Ireland. Plus he probably wouldn't even give her a glance; he would be so busy making up for lost time with Cat. But she wanted to look her best for him, wanted to show him that she was doing okay on her own. Scarlett and Cat were staying at a hotel in Galway. She figured that the travelers would want to spend the night in town before heading to Ballyhara. Scarlett supposed that she could have stayed at home and waited for them to come, but she couldn't wait another day to see Rhett.  
  
   
  
Scarlett paced the drawing room, waiting to leave for the docks. "Why am I so nervous?" she thought. "It's only Rhett I'm meeting. We were married for years, I've borne his two daughters." But it wasn't 'only Rhett' now, it was the man she loved and it was her ex-husband. Scarlett bit her thumbnail. She just knew she was going to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing. "Oh why does he have to bring his little wife here?" Scarlett glanced at the clock and saw that it was time to leave. She took one last look in the mirror and pinched her cheeks to bring a little blush of pink into them. She went and got Cat from her bedroom and they headed out into the street. Scarlett had decided to walk to the docks, she thought it might help calm her nerves and she could never resist saving a buck. It was only a short walk and soon they had arrived. The ship that must be Rhett's had just docked and preparations were being made for the passengers to come ashore. Scarlett picked Cat up and held her close to her. Normally Cat wouldn't allow herself to be picked up and babied but she could sense that her mother needed a hug. The ramp came down and Scarlett gulped. She closed her eyes. She couldn't believe that she would finally be seeing Rhett, finally after all this time. She opened up her eyes to see Rhett, at the top of the ramp, staring intently at her and Cat. A breath caught in her throat. Their eyes locked and Scarlett quaked in her boots. He looked so good, so very handsome.  
  
"Cat, darling, there's your daddy" Scarlett said, remembering her daughter. She pointed Rhett out to Cat and the little girl gave him a big wave. He smiled broadly and waved back. Rhett turned and handed his mother and Anne out. "And there's you Grandma." Scarlett said and cat waved to Eleanor also. The small group began to descend the ramp and Scarlett noticed, with a little satisfaction, that Rhett linked his arm with his mother's and Anne trailed behind. Soon Rhett was only a short distance away and approaching quickly. Then he was standing in front of Scarlett and Cat, still smiling slightly.  
  
"Hello" Scarlett said. Hello? Almost four years and all she could say was 'hello'?  
  
"Hello, Scarlett" Rhett said, he brought her hand up to his lips. But he didn't kiss it; he kept it floating the respectable inch under him. "And you must be Cat" He said, turning his attention to his daughter. "Do you know who I am, darling?"  
  
Cat nodded emphatically.  
  
"Uh-huh. Mommy says that you're my daddy."  
  
"That would be me." Rhett said with a lump in his throat. He looked at Scarlett. "Can I hold her?" he asked.  
  
"Of course." Scarlett said. "Cat, give your daddy big hug" She handed Cat to Rhett and the little girl did as she was told. Rhett held her against his chest and closed his eyes, trying not to cry in public.  
  
Scarlett saw that Eleanor and Anne were hanging back; actually it looked like Eleanor was holding Anne back. She went over and she and Eleanor embraced.  
  
"Miss Eleanor it's so good to see you" she said sincerely. "You can't imagine how I've missed people from home!"  
  
"Scarlett it's a joy to see you. That must be Cat, oh she's so beautiful. Why, she looks just like Rhett!" Eleanor exclaimed.  
  
Scarlett saw that Anne winced at the words. "She probably thought I was trying to pass someone else's daughter off on Rhett!" she thought. "Well that oughta show her"  
  
"Miss Hampton" she said with a nod.  
  
Anne took a sharp breath.  
  
"It's Mrs. Butler now, you know."  
  
"Why yes that's right isn't it?" Scarlett said melodiously. "You'll have to excuse me, but I'll just have to call you by your first name. It might get confusing having three Mrs. Butlers you know!" She smiled a sweet little fake smile. Anne smiled back but they were both shooting daggers at each other with their eyes.  
  
"Scarlett, my dear, how have you been?" Eleanor asked, sensing the menace between the two women.  
  
"We've been getting along fine, Cat and I. Though I do miss home and my other children. I would love for Cat to see Tara and meet Wade and Ella." Scarlett said.  
  
"Well then why didn't you take her there?" Anne piped in.  
  
Scarlett glared at her. "You know damn well why" she wanted to yell. She knew that if she ever took Cat home she would be labeled a bastard.  
  
"I just never got the chance. Ballyhara's business keeps me so occupied!" said Scarlett. She turned to Eleanor again. "Miss Eleanor, you must come meet Cat." She said and led Eleanor over to Rhett and Cat who were now deep in conversation.  
  
"Cat was just telling me all about Ballyhara." He said with a wide grin.  
  
"Kittycat, this is your grandmother." Said Scarlett.  
  
"Hi!" Cat chirped.  
  
"Hello darling." Eleanor said, enchanted by her granddaughter.  
  
"We should be going back to the hotel, it's getting awfully hot." Scarlett said. She looked over at a pouting Anne who stood a little apart from them. "Miss Hampton!" she called. "We're leaving now."  
  
Anne walked over to Rhett's side.  
  
"It's not Miss Hampton anymore, like I said before" She said.  
  
"Oh I am sorry! It's just so confusing to call you by a different name." Scarlett cooed. Rhett shot her a knowing look and she turned and led the way to the hotel. Cat began to squirm in Rhett's arms and he sat her down. Scarlett held onto Cat's little hand with a death grip. She walked swiftly and the others followed behind her. When they got to the hotel Scarlett made arrangements for the luggage to be picked up and brought to the rooms. The group went upstairs and Scarlett directed Rhett, Anne, and Eleanor to their room; which was next door to hers.  
  
"I suppose you'll want to freshen up after your long trip. My rooms are here if you need anything." She said, gesturing to her door. "I highly recommend the shopping here in Galway. The outdoor markets are the best I've ever seen. " Scarlett opened up her door and she and Cat went in. She sighed and leaned against the closed door, sinking to the floor. Everything had gone smoothly, she supposed; but it hurt so horribly to see Rhett and Anne, to hear Anne refer to herself as Mrs. Butler.  
  
"Mommy?" Scarlett looked over and saw that Cat was staring, bewildered, at her. "You ok?"  
  
"Oh, darling, I'm alright. It was just...warm outside is all." Said Scarlett. She pulled Cat down onto her lap and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "What did you think about your daddy?" she asked.  
  
"You were right, he's nice. I like him"  
  
"I'm glad, darling."  
  
Cat began to yawn loudly so Scarlett put her down for a nap in her room. Scarlett was still wound up from seeing Rhett so she decided to order tea and go over some books for Ballyhara; business and tea always calmed her nerves. She was sitting hunched over a long table of figures when a knock came on the door.  
  
"Come in" she called. It had taken long enough for them to bring up her tea!  
  
Scarlett finished adding up a list of expenses to be paid. She looked up and almost screamed her head off.  
  
"God's nightgown, Rhett!" she said, jumping out of her seat. "I thought you were the room service." Rhett began to chuckle and Scarlett, realizing how silly she must have looked, joined in. "Is there a reason for your visit, or did you just want me to die of fright? Cat's in the middle of a nap if you came to see her."  
  
"Actually I came to talk to you." Rhett said.  
  
"Oh" Great, now he was going to yell at her for keeping Cat from him. "Come sit down" said Scarlett. She sat down on a couch and Rhett chose a facing chair. "Where are-" she began to ask.  
  
"They took your advice and went shopping" Rhett said, cutting her off.  
  
"Oh" Scarlett leaned back on the couch and began to absentmindedly play with her wedding ring.  
  
"Can I ask you a question, Scarlett?"  
  
"Well if I said 'no' you would ask me anyway, so yes." She said with a smile.  
  
"Why are you wearing mourning?"  
  
"Ah, I thought you would wonder about that." Scarlett said. "When I first found out that you had divorced me I set out for Galway at once. I was going to get on a ship home and tell you about the baby. But when I was here I got a letter, saying that you had married Anne. I couldn't go home. I couldn't show up pregnant at your door. And I was afraid that you would take the baby from me and then kick me out on the street. I couldn't let that happen. I loved Cat from the first day I found out I was pregnant. So, I decided I would stay in Ireland. But I couldn't go back to my family and tell them that my husband had divorced me. I wore mourning from then on and told everyone that I was a widow. My cousin, Colum, is the only one that knows what really happened." She said, thinking that neither she nor Colum really knew what had happened.  
  
"I see, well that answers my question. I'm sorry, Scarlett. It must have felt horrible, pregnant and...and alone. I'm ashamed of myself for what I did."  
  
"Oh, Rhett, you didn't know I was pregnant. You thought I had run away for good, at least that's what you wrote me. It did feel horrible at first. But then Cat was born and I love her so much, Rhett. She's filled that void as well as she can. She's my life now and I love her more and more each day." Scarlett laughed at Rhett's perplexed face. "You didn't think I had it in me, did you? You thought you would come and find Cat emotionally scarred and afraid of me like my other children."  
  
"Well motherhood becomes you, Scarlett. You've really grown into a beautiful woman"  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"And you've done a wonderful job with Cat."  
  
"Rhett, you don't know how much that means to me."  
  
Rhett stood up.  
  
"I should be going. It was nice talking to you, Scarlett."  
  
Scarlett stood up and, before she could stop herself, gave Rhett a quick hug.  
  
"It's good to see you, Rhett." She said.  
  
Rhett walked to the door and Scarlett went back to her books. When he was in the doorway he turned around and looked at her.  
  
"Happy?" he said  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Are you happy?"  
  
"Yes, I am. I'm very happy, Rhett."  
  
He nodded and left the room. Scarlett stared at the closed door.  
  
"But I can never be truly happy without you" she thought before turning her attention back to how much her tenants owed her. 


	5. Chapter 4 (sw)

Anne trailed behind her Mother in law as the older woman looked at some  
  
type of basket. Rage at having to be here filled her. Scarlett had once  
  
again bested her. And this time, Anne had a feeling no matter what she  
  
did, the game was over and she had lost.Â   
  
Yes, she was Mrs. Rhett Butler now, but for how long? She had seen the  
  
look in Rhett's eyes the moment he laid eyes on his daughter. Yes, Cat  
  
was indeed Rhett's child. And if it weren't for the fact she had emerald  
  
eyes like her mother there wasn't a spot of Scarlett on her.Â   
  
Tears were once again making there way to her eyes. Why did Scarlett have  
  
to make Cat known now? When she was so close to getting Rhett to try for  
  
another baby?  
  
It wasn't fair after almost four years of marriage and dreaming of  
  
having her husband's baby the whole time, that now that dream was gone.Â   
  
Miss Eleanor, who was trying to pay little attention to her daughter in  
  
law's dark mood, was in seventh heaven. She had a granddaughter again. The  
  
child, of course expect for being a girl, looked just like Rhett had at  
  
that age. Same tan skin and black hair.  
  
It was clear to see Scarlett had been a loving mother to the child. The  
  
look on her face when she saw Rhett gave way to the fact that he still  
  
held her heart. Shaking her head Eleanor thought 'What a mess Rhett had  
  
made'. Because of him she had missed seeing her only grandchild born. And  
  
more than likely would miss most of her life as well.  
  
But Rhett was the big loser in all of this. Because he had let anger  
  
guide him, he had lost so much of his daughter's life. He would lose so  
  
much more. Anne wouldn't allow Rhett to do as he would want.Â   
  
Eleanor knew there was coming soon a point in which Rhett would have to  
  
decided between his wife and daughter.  
  
His heart or his place in Charleston that was the question.  
  
Anne tried not to think about Cat as Mrs. Butler looked at little girls  
  
dresses.  
  
But it was so hard not to see her little face. She looked so like her  
  
husband for a moment if Anne closed her eyes she could pretend the child  
  
was her's as well as his.  
  
But she wasn't. Cat belonged to Scarlett; that fast piece of trash that  
  
dare call her Miss Hampton, she had been Mrs. Rhett Butler almost as long  
  
as Scarlett had.  
  
Rhett didn't even notice what Scarlett had said, he was to busy with his  
  
daughter to care. Miss Eleanor had toldÂ  her to overlook Scarlett's  
  
behavior that it had to be hard on the poor dear to see Rhett with his  
  
new wife.  
  
But didn't Miss Eleanor know how hard this was on her? Not only did she  
  
have to see her husband's former wife, she had to see a child that was  
  
their's. A child that shouldn't exist. If Rhett was so unhappy that he  
  
divorced Scarlett so soon after she disappeared from Charleston how could  
  
there be a Cat?  
  
It turned her stomach to think of the answer to that question. Because  
  
while she had been trying to get Rhett to pay attention to her, it meant  
  
that his wife at the time was pregnant with his child.  
  
Was she happy when she learned of the baby to come? Did she foolishly make  
  
plans for her family that included Rhett?  
  
All these thoughts left Anne feeling nausea. She started to feel faint  
  
when Miss Eleanor asked her sweetly "Are you feeling alright Anne?  
  
Perhaps we should go back to the Hotel."  
  
Anne nodded her head letting Miss Eleanor lead her back to their rented  
  
carriage that would take them back to the hell Anne knew now as life.  
  
Â   
  
____________________________  
  
Â   
  
Cat had her tiny eyes closed but couldn't sleep. She finally had a  
  
Daddy. And he looked so very much like her. While her Mommy had always  
  
told her about her Father to see him and be in his arms made him real to  
  
the child. Not just a dream.  
  
From the way he looked at her, Cat knew he was going to be allot of  
  
fun. She couldn't wait to show him her tower.  
  
And Ree of course, she hoped her Daddy liked her pony as much as she did.  
  
Her Mommy always had a sad look in her eyes when she saw Ree. But Cat  
  
knew that had something to do with a girl named Bonnie.  
  
While Cat, didn't know who Bonnie was, she did know her Mommy loved her  
  
very much and that Bonnie was in heaven now.  
  
Cat knew heaven was a place people went when they left this earth, her  
  
kittycat had went there.  
  
As Cat tried to fight the sleep that was slowly over taking her the  
  
small child thought of her Grandmother. She wasn't quite sure she  
  
understood what a Grandmother was, Mommy had told her that Granny  
  
Eleanor was her Daddy's Mommy just like she was her's but Cat still  
  
didn't understand.  
  
But she did know that Granny Eleanor was a person she liked very  
  
much. The older lady had told Cat about all the gifts she had for her. Cat  
  
couldn't wait to see her again for, when she did, Granny Eleanor had  
  
promised to have her gift's with her.  
  
The other Lady, Cat wasn't sure if she liked her. All she did was stare  
  
at her and looked very upset anytime Cat had tried to talk to her.  
  
But her Mommy had made her promise to be nice to the lady who she was to  
  
call Aunt Anne. Losing her battle with sleep Cat's last thought was of  
  
her Daddy and the smile on his face when he first saw her. 


	6. Chapter 5 (Kat)

Scarlett couldn't concentrate on her account books. She kept going over the conversation she had just had with Rhett. He had seemed like he genuinely cared about her. He had said he was ashamed of himself, that he was sorry. Why had she said that she was happy? She wasn't, not truly. Scarlett kept telling herself that she should be happy. She had a wonderful daughter, a beautiful house, and more money then she knew what to do with. But how could she be happy when the love of her life was married to another woman? Suddenly, Scarlett realized that she had gotten herself into this same position again. First she had thought she loved Ashley, but he was married to Melly. Somehow, though, she knew that her love for Rhett was real, not like with Ashley. There were so many questions she needed the answers to. Did Rhett still love her? Why did he marry Anne? That was the main question. He had never shown anything except friendship towards Anne Hampton. How did they go from that to being married? He couldn't love Anne; they were completely different people. Rhett had always said that a marriage would never work when the people were different. Scarlett felt sick as she remembered that he had said that in reference to Ashley. She wondered how long Rhett would be in Ireland. If it was too long then she and Anne might end up clawing each others eyes out. They hadn't said more then ten words to each other, and yet Scarlett hated Anne with every being in her body. She hated her for the way she looked at Cat. She hated how Anne had thought Cat was a bastard child. Anne could say anything she wanted about Scarlett, but she crossed the line at Cat. Oh why did Rhett bring her? Scarlett hissed "Anne" and pounded her fist down on the table, a futile attempt to unleash her anger.  
  
"Mommy, why you hit the table?" Cat's tiny voice asked.  
  
Scarlett turned around and saw her daughter standing in the doorway of her room, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Hi baby, did you have a good nap?"  
  
Cat nodded and walked over to Scarlett who pulled her up onto her lap.  
  
"Are you mad at me?" asked Cat.  
  
"No darling, of course not. I'm not mad at you at all. Why?"  
  
"Because you hit the table like you were mad."  
  
"I was, but not at you."  
  
"Oh"  
  
Scarlett gave Cat a quick squeeze.  
  
"Let's say we get you dressed and then we can go visit Daddy. What do you think?"  
  
Cat nodded emphatically. She couldn't wait to see her daddy again.  
  
Scarlett dressed Cat and they went next door. Cat knocked on the door and Rhett answered. When Scarlett saw him the tightness in her stomach returned and she couldn't speak. It was as if an electric current was passing between their eyes. They stood, staring at each other, for what seemed like hours but was in fact only about two seconds.  
  
"Hi" Scarlett breathed. "Um, Cat wanted to see you again." She said, regaining her composure. Rhett kneeled down and he and Cat embraced.  
  
"Come in." he said and they went into his room. Cat and Rhett were talking but Scarlett couldn't make out a word. How did he still have this hold of her? And why was she finding him so damn handsome being a father to his daughter? Scarlett looked over and saw that Rhett was staring at her oddly. Their eyes met for a brief second before he turned his attention back to Cat. Scarlett couldn't help from thinking that this was the way it should be, the three of them as a family. There was only one reason why they couldn't be, and all to soon she was coming into the room. Anne and Eleanor had returned from their shopping expedition. Anne was still pouting and she looked irate that Scarlett should be in the room. There were words being spoken but Scarlett couldn't understand, they just swirled around her. She felt like she was in a bubble and she had to get out. She mumbled something about how she had to leave and could Rhett bring Cat back later and then she bolted out of the room. Scarlett was opening the door to her room when Rhett came out.  
  
"What's wrong, Scarlett?" he asked.  
  
"I-I can't do this, Rhett. I thought I could but I can't."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he was obviously confused.  
  
"I can't see you with her. And if I spend one more moment with her, I swear I will kill her, Rhett." Scarlett said a bit too loudly.  
  
"I see" Rhett said thoughtfully.  
  
"Why did you bring her here, Rhett? Couldn't you see that it would hurt me? I can't understand what possessed you to bring your new wife to my home. Oh why do I even bother? You don't give a damn if you hurt me and you never have. I was a fool to think that you cared even one tiny bit about my feelings. I-I never should have told you about Cat. Now you're just going to try and win her over like you did Bonnie. You're going to try and make her love you best. Well she won't buy it, Rhett! I'm the only parent she's ever known until today and she will always love me more. And it's your own fault if she does! You are the one that just- just gave up on our marriage. You are the one that divorced me for no reason. You never even tried to find out where I had gone before you got married to the proper little Lady you had always wanted to show to the world. You said that you cared about me but then you left me high and dry without a second thought." Scarlett was appalled that she had gone on this tirade. Rhett put a hand on her arm.  
  
"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I did try to find you-" he began.  
  
"Don't touch me, Rhett." She said through gritted teeth. Scarlett went into her room and spun around. "Just bring Cat back in a little. We leave for Ballyhara tomorrow at four in the morning. It's a long ride, she needs her sleep." She said before closing the door. She closed her eyes and leaned against the door, letting the tears she had been holding back come. Why did she have to have been so loud? Scarlett was certain that the entire hotel now knew the innermost workings of her heart. But she didn't care about that; all she cared about was that Rhett knew. He knew how hurt and betrayed she felt. She was positive that he knew she still loved him.  
  
  
  
______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
Late that night, while Cat was safely asleep in her bed, Scarlett wandered around her room. She couldn't sleep; she was too wound up from all that had happened that day. She laid her hand on the wall and thought of Rhett, sleeping on the other side. If only she could be in his arms tonight, only then could she be at peace.  
  
_____________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
The next morning the group met in the lobby. Scarlett carried a still- sleeping Cat. She was glad that Cat's state made it so she didn't have to speak to anybody. There was an unspoken tenseness between them and Scarlett dreaded the long drive ahead. The carriage arrived and they went in. Rhett sat next to Scarlett and Cat, to Anne's dismay, and Eleanor and Anne faced the three of them. They rode in silence for long minutes. Eventually both Anne and Eleanor succumbed to the sleep that was evading them all. Only then did Scarlett look over at Rhett.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to say the things I did.  
  
"It's alright, Scarlett." Rhett said, also whispering. "You were kind of right. I did behave like a fool. I should have seen that you wouldn't want Anne here. What could I do, though? She is my wife."  
  
"I know" Scarlett said, tears smarting to her eyes. She turned her head and looked out the window. Didn't he see that that was what hurt her so much?  
  
They rode for hours to Ballyhara. Cat woke up and she and Rhett talked about little, meaningless things. As they drew nearer to Ballyhara and the rode grew bumpier Anne turned a lovely shade of olive. She was obviously fighting to keep her breakfast down. Finally they pulled into the town.  
  
"This is all yours, Scarlett?" Rhett said with amazement, looking around. "You've done good for yourself."  
  
"Thank you" She said.  
  
They got to the house and everyone got out, glad to stretch their legs. At the sound of them Mrs. Fitz came out of the house.  
  
"This is my housekeeper, Mrs. Fitzpatrick." Scarlett said. "This is my good friend Mr. Butler, his mother, Miss Eleanor, and his wife, Miss Anne. They are going to be staying with us for a while. They're to have the second floor to themselves." Everybody bowed at their introductions. "Could you please show Miss Anne to a room, I believe she could use a rest." Despite herself Anne looked quite grateful.  
  
"I'll go with you, dear." Miss Eleanor said and the three of them went into the house. Cat ran off to her tower, as if to make sure that it hadn't disappeared in her absence.  
  
"Would you like the royal tour?" Scarlett asked Rhett.  
  
"Lead on." He said. Scarlett showed him the house. He noticed how tastefully decorated it was, not at all like the house in Atlanta, and told her as much.  
  
"Yes that house is a major decorating faux pas, isn't it?" Scarlett said with a laugh. "I didn't care how something looked as long as it was amazingly expensive. Whatever happened to our house, did you sell it?" she asked thoughtfully.  
  
"No." Rhett said, clearly uncomfortable. "Anne and I, um, live there."  
  
"In my house?" Scarlett whispered, fighting back tears. "You've been living in my house with her? The house where Bonnie was born, where we have so many memories? I can't believe you, Rhett. And I suppose she has my room too!"  
  
"Well I couldn't just let it go to waste! That house cost me a fortune."  
  
"She does have my room!" Scarlett exclaimed. "You're really doing your best to replace me, aren't you?"  
  
"No. I'm not. It was a financial issue, nothing more, Scarlett. I am not trying to replace you at all."  
  
Scarlett nodded slowly.  
  
"Let me show you the stables" she said in an even tone. They headed toward that direction. "Oh by the way." Scarlett said while they were walking there. "You can't tell anyone you're Cat's father. Nobody can know that we were married. I have told people I'm a widow, if they find out differently they can never trust me again. And it's very important that the people of Ballyhara trust me. The only person who knows is Colum." 


	7. Chapter 6 (Sw)

"Colum?" Rhett asked looking around the grounds of Scarlett's house.  
  
"Oh, I forgot you don't know my cousin Colum do you?" Scarlett asked then continued on not really expecting a answer. "Colum, he reminds me of Pa so much Rhett. He's the only one that knows the truth. I confided in him when I learned of our divorce."  
  
Rhett kept silent knowing he had hurt Scarlett deeply with the knowledge he lived in their old house. He didn't need to, in fact Anne and he had many arguments because of living there. But just like he couldn't explain to Anne the hold that nightmare of a house held over him, he couldn't tell Scarlett either.  
  
It was the place Bonnie had been born, the place she had taken her first steps. The only place his sweet little girl knew as home. How could he sell a piece of his heart? It was all he had left of Bonnie and Scarlett. It was easier for Scarlett to think Anne had her old room then the truth that no one was allowed into her room. It looked as it had the day she left it. Anne had wanted to change the house to her, well their, tastes but he wouldn't allow it. That house, even if it belonged to him, would forever be Scarlett's to Rhett.  
  
"I hope I get to meet him Scarlett, and I'll tell Mother and Anne not to mention about us having been married. "Rhett said as they enter the stables.  
  
"Thank you Rhett, that's kind of you. As for Colum I bet he's dying to meet you." Scarlett smiled then added "He was always telling me how wrong I've been not telling you of Cat sooner."  
  
"Sounds like a smart man, my pet" Rhett said laughing he winced as he saw a look of pain cross Scarlett's face when he called her his pet.  
  
"Colum is a smart man Rhett, he's dare I say it the closer thing I've ever had to a brother and he loves me." Scarlett paused trying not to let the bitterness into her voice at the feelings Rhett's words were causing her. "He accepts me for me. Everyone does here Rhett, not like in Atlanta or Charleston I don't have to pretend to be anyone I'm not."  
  
"That's wonderful Scarlett, everyone needs to be accepted as themselves" Rhett said, how come now Scarlett realized this? When they first were married Rhett had tried to do just that but Scarlett wouldn't have it then.  
  
"Lets stop talking about me and let me show you my stables Rhett." All Scarlett wanted to do know was change the subject and put aside things that hurt to think about, much less talk about. Rhett nodded his head and became the guest as Scarlett showed her stables to him. She was proud of them, he could tell the way her mouth would come up in a smile or the twinkle in her eyes. This was the part of Scarlett he had missed the most.  
  
Smiling Rhett couldn't help but fall in love with Scarlett's stables. As she showed him her horses only picking the ones she thought would impress Rhett. Scarlett had just finished showing Rhett all her prized horses when he stopped in front of a stall that held a pony.  
  
"Who does the Pony belong to Scarlett?" Rhett asked, he looked pale but as he saw the look on Scarlett's face, he started to turn red with anger.  
  
"Who do you think would ride a pony Rhett?" Scarlett asked biting back her tongue. Getting Cat a pony was the hardest, and bravest thing Scarlett had ever done in her life.  
  
"How could you? Wasn't it enough to lose one child already, do you want lose another?" Rhett yelled not caring if anyone overheard them or not. Bonnie taking the last jump clear in his mind.  
  
"Rhett, what happened to Bonnie won't happen to Cat." Scarlett yelled back as she turned her back to Rhett she wouldn't allow him the pleasure of seeing her cry in front of him. How could he say such a thing to her? Didn't he know how much losing Bonnie had hurt her as well as him? But it wasn't fair to Cat to hold her back; she had to learn to ride someday. And when Cat asked for her own pony Scarlett couldn't deny her.  
  
"You don't know that Scarlett." Rhett said looking at the pony with daggers in his eyes. He hated any pony since that day Mr. Butler had thrown Bonnie and brought Rhett's world to an end.  
  
"Cat loves her pony" Scarlett said as she remembered the day Cat had gotten Ree. For the child it was love at first sight. "She's a wonderful rider Rhett, I've made sure of that." Turning around so she could make eye contact with Rhett she whispered, "I haven't allowed her to jump or learn to ride sidesaddle. I won't lose another child."  
  
Rhett broke the glare they shared when he heard a tiny voice yell out "Mommy, Daddy"  
  
Cat came running up to her parents and smiled at them. Then when she saw Ree she climb over the gate that held him and went to pat her pony. Rhett saw the look of happiness in his daughters eyes and knew Scarlett had been right. It wasn't fair to punish Cat for what happened to Bonnie. 


	8. Chapter 7 (Kat)

Rhett watched his only child, playing with her pony, with sad eyes.  
  
"I suppose you were right, Scarlett. Cat shouldn't be held back because of Bonnie. I-I just don't like it." He said quietly so as not to disturb the little girl.  
  
"Neither do I, Rhett. I couldn't say no when she asked me. I've been very careful, though. She can't ride alone, either me or Colum have to be with her."  
  
"So you're very close to this Colum?" Rhett asked  
  
"Yes, very. He's Cat's Godfather, you know. When I was pregnant he was a heaven-sent. He's always been there for me since…. well, since I came to Ireland." Scarlett said.  
  
Rhett knew that she meant since he had divorced her.  
  
"I should have been the one who was always there for you." He said remorsefully.  
  
"Don't let's talk about this, Rhett. We can't go back, we just have to live today." Said Scarlett, as she took his hand.  
  
"Scarlett you're stables just get better and better!" A voice boomed from the door.  
  
"Bart!" Scarlett exclaimed as she walked to him. They embraced each other quickly. "How have you been? What brings you to Ballyhara?"  
  
"Well I was visiting a friend of mine and I realized I was near your home. So I decided to come see you." Bart said.  
  
"More like came to see my stables, you sly piece." Scarlett laughed.  
  
"Just an added bonus, my dear Scarlett."  
  
Rhett watched this little scene from Ree's stall. For the first time in his life he felt truly uncomfortable.  
  
"Come in, come in." Scarlett said as she guided Bart to Rhett. "You know Captain Butler."  
  
"Sir John, good to see you." Rhett said as they shook hands.  
  
"What brings you to Ballyhara, Rhett?" Bart asked. "I didn't know you and Scarlett knew each other all that well."  
  
Rhett and Scarlett shared a secret smile.  
  
"Yes Bart, Rhett and I have known each other since I was a young girl. He's here with his mother and his wife. " Scarlett said. "Cat say hello to Sir John" she whispered, remembering her daughter.  
  
"Hello Sir John" Cat said with a little curtsy. "Daddy will you take me riding?" she said to Rhett.  
  
Scarlett bit her lip and Bart looked up in surprise.  
  
"Rhett is also Cat's father." Scarlett said quietly. "We used to be married."  
  
"Really? I thought that-"  
  
"No, I'm not a widow. That was just an act." She looked up at Rhett, silently pleading him to take over.  
  
"I'm here to visit my daughter." Rhett said simply. "We have to ask you not to tell anyone that Scarlett and I were married and that Cat is my daughter. It would be unnecessary for people to know."  
  
"Sure I won't tell anybody." Bart said, digesting this development.  
  
"Daddy!" Cat said impatiently.  
  
"What is it, sweetie?" Rhett asked.  
  
"Will you take me riding?"  
  
Rhett looked at Scarlett and she nodded.  
  
"Go ahead. You can use any horse you would like, Rhett. Liam down there will set you up." She said, pointing to a young servant across the stable. Soon Rhett and Cat were off on a tour of the grounds. Scarlett showed Bart how her horses had grown since he had last seen them.  
  
"Can I ask you a horribly personal question, Scarlett?" he asked.  
  
Scarlett shrugged.  
  
"Shoot away."  
  
"Why aren't you and Captain Butler still married? He obviously adores Cat."  
  
"Yes he does, doesn't he? You wouldn't think they just met yesterday. I never told Rhett about Cat until a few weeks ago. We had been having marital problems and I left to visit my grandmother here in Ireland. Rhett thought I had run away for good and he-he divorced me. I was going to tell him I was with child but he married Anne. But I guess the question is why. Well, things were never the same after our daughter died. Bonnie and Rhett were always very close. When she died she took everything. Rhett and I were actually just having a fight about that. Bonnie died when her pony threw her. He was upset to see Cat's pony." Scarlett sighed, it took a lot out of her to go over what had gone wrong in their marriage.  
  
"I'm sorry." Bart said. "I had no idea you had lost a child."  
  
"I never told anyone here." She said. They stood in silence for a few moments. "Well there, you know all my secrets now." Scarlett said finally. They continued their tour of the stables.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ ___  
  
When Rhett and Cat returned Bart was gone. Scarlett was waiting for them outside the stables. They unsaddled and a stable hand came to take care of the horses.  
  
"Kittycat darling, go up to the house. I want to talk to your daddy" Scarlett said. Cat obliged and left Scarlett and Rhett alone. They began to walk slowly towards the house.  
  
"I guess I really didn't think about Cat calling you daddy in front of people."  
  
"You don't think he'll tell anybody, do you?"  
  
"No, Bart's a good friend. He wouldn't do that."  
  
"You two seem awfully… close." Rhett said apprehensively.  
  
Scarlett looked at him bemusedly.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean?" she said.  
  
" Well is there something going on between you two?"  
  
" I really don't think it would be any of your business if there was, which there isn't. You're not going to play the jealous ex-husband are you, Rhett? Because that really is unattractive. Bart and I are just good friends. And I think I am allowed to have a male friend, Rhett. After all you have a wife."  
  
"He loves you, you know." Rhett said.  
  
Scarlett threw her head back and laughed.  
  
"Bart Moreland does not love me, you jealous fool you."  
  
"There was love written all over his face!"  
  
Scarlett laughed loudly.  
  
"He's in love with my horses, not me!" Scarlett said, on the verge of tears at laughing so hard.  
  
"Oh." Rhett said and began to laugh along with her. "Well, are you seeing anybody, Scarlett?" He asked when the laughter had subsided.  
  
"Rhett you have to realize that it's none of your business. If you can't see me with another man then I don't know why you left me in the first place." She said. Why shouldn't she make him think there was another man? Who cared if she had never even thought about another man except for Rhett in four years?  
  
"I suppose you're right." Rhett resigned. "Do you think you'll ever get married again?"  
  
"Rhett!" she chided him.  
  
"I'm only asking because it concerns my daughter." He lied.  
  
"Well I think three marriages is enough for a lifetime, don't you?" Scarlett said, amused that Rhett was this jealous. "How was your ride?" she asked, deciding it was time to change the subject.  
  
"It was good. Cat showed me her tower. It just- it hurts to see her riding. It's almost like Bonnie never-"  
  
"Don't even say it, Rhett!" Scarlett cried. She stood in front of him and put her hand on his chest. "She's not Bonnie. She never will be Bonnie. You need to love her for who she is, not for who her sister was. Cat and Bonnie are two very different people. Do you understand me?" Rhett nodded. Scarlett's eyes filled with tears and they hugged.  
  
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said. "I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I?"  
  
"Saying what?" she asked, wiping away at her tears.  
  
"That you're right. When did you become so wise, my dear?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess I grew up, Rhett."  
  
Rhett pulled out a handkerchief.  
  
"Well I guess some things never change." He said looking down at it before handing it to Scarlett. 


	9. Chapter 8 (Sw)

Anne paced back in forth in the bedroom that Mrs. Fitz had showed her  
  
too. She had been sleeping soundly until a nightmare of Rhett leaving her  
  
for Scarlett woke her.  
  
This house was so different then the one she and Rhett shared in  
  
Atlanta. It hadÂ warm soft feelings to it. Not the dark tortured ones  
  
that Rhett's house did.  
  
No matter how long she lived in that Atlanta house it would never be  
  
her's.  
  
Rhett wouldn't allow that.  
  
It was maddening sometimes, to live in a house that would forever belong to  
  
the memory of someone else. At first she had thought it was because of  
  
Bonnie. But as time went on, and Rhett insisted no one could enter Scarlett's  
  
former bedroom, the truth couldn't be denied any no longer. It was  
  
Scarlett who would forever be Mistress to that house.  
  
No matter what Anne did, if she would have given Rhett a dozen  
  
children It would always be this way. Yes, Anne had his name but not his  
  
heart.  
  
Rhett's heart had never been his to give her. Scarlett owned it and from  
  
what Anne had heard from India Wilkes had never wanted it. There had been  
  
talk of a affair between Scarlett and India's brother Mr. Wilkes.  
  
It was common knowledge that Scarlett and Rhett didn't share the same  
  
room. Then she turned up with child, after Rhett had taken Bonnie only  
  
returning after three months. Moments later Scarlett had fell down the  
  
stairs and lost the child she was carrying. Anne had thought when she  
  
heard this that she finally had something on Scarlett that would drive her  
  
memory away from Rhett's heart.  
  
So one night she brought the subject ofÂ brightening the house up. Then, when  
  
Rhett refused, she yelled out how he could want to keep things like this  
  
for a woman who had carried another man's child while they were married, a woman who made him a fool.  
  
Anne had never seen Rhett look so angry. For a second she feared he would  
  
hit her. His bitter words she could still hear. "Don't you ever say such a  
  
thing about Scarlett again or I just might forget myself. That child she  
  
lost was mine, do you hear me?" Anne grew pale remembering what happened  
  
next "I know who's telling you these lies. India Wilkes and she isn't  
  
allowed to step foot in my house again. If I see her in this house again  
  
it won't just be her who's thrown out."  
  
Anne knew, from those words, that child that had been lost was indeed  
  
Rhett's. Since that day she visited India at Miss Hamilton's house.  
  
Anne had thought after she had lost their baby Rhett had grown to love  
  
her. He was so caring and gentle with her whenever they were  
  
together. Now with Cat in the picture and no chance of herself given  
  
Rhett a child, she had lost that hope.  
  
Looking out the window Anne saw Cat running towards the house. She was  
  
the one person responsible for this hell Anne was now living. For she  
  
couldn't bear to let that tiny voice inside that always whispered to her  
  
how wrong it had been to go after Rhett when he was married to another  
  
woman start once again.  
  
If she hadn't, Rhett would be happily married to Scarlett. With Cat they  
  
would make a picture perfect family. One that Anne wouldn't allow to  
  
happen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eleanor Butler was being showed around Ballyhara by Mrs. Fitz. The house  
  
had a hold over Miss Eleanor. It was well done and held a part of  
  
history to it.  
  
As well as showing the rooms, Mrs. Fitz told her tales of Ballyhara in  
  
its glory days.  
  
"I must say this house surprises me." Miss Eleanor said as they entered  
  
another room.  
  
"Why is that Mrs. Butler, if I my ask?" Mrs. Fitz asked. At first she had  
  
thought when Miss Eleanor asked for a tour of the house it was going to  
  
be a bore. But Mrs. Butler had awed her with her knowledge of pictures  
  
and furniture.  
  
"Well Scarlett's house in Atlanta, which Rhett had built for her, was a  
  
horrible dark house nothing like this." Miss Eleanor said looking at this  
  
new room they were in. "Her taste has improved over the years I see."  
  
Mrs. Fitz stood rooted to the spot. Mr. Butler had built Mrs. O'Hara a  
  
house? 


	10. Chapter 9 (Kat)

Scarlett sighed as she walked into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed. A million thoughts were running through her mind, all of them concerning Rhett. She felt like screaming when she thought about Rhett and Anne living in her house. Why did he have to live there? Was it a purely financial issue, as he had said, or could he not get rid of the memories?  
  
"Why he's no better then me! Ashley was the ghost in our marriage, am I the ghost in theirs? Does he think about me? Does he miss me? Does he wonder, like me, what went wrong between us?" she thought. Oh, it was too much to think about! Scarlett heard a noise at the door and looked up to see Mrs. Fitz. She looked very worried and stressed.  
  
"What's wrong?" Scarlett asked, sitting up. "Did something happen to Cat?"  
  
"No, no nothing like that. Cat's fine." Mrs. Fitz said. Scarlett sighed and leaned back down on the bed.  
  
"You scared me! What is it?"  
  
"Well Miss Scarlett we've been under the same roof for about four years now." Mrs. Fitz started. She began pacing up and down the floor of Scarlett's room. "And I've come to think of you and Cat as- well as my own family."  
  
"You never told me that." Scarlett said.  
  
"Well I do. And I thought you had always been fairly honest with me. But, Miss Scarlett, a married man! I believed you when you said you were a widow, that Cat's father was dead. But a married man, Miss Scarlett! It's just not proper, I thought better of you! I never would have thought that you of all people would have had an affair."  
  
"An affair!" Scarlett cried, her face blanching. "I have never in my life had an affair!" Had Anne told Mrs. Fitz those old stories about her and Ashley?  
  
"I didn't want to believe it at first, Miss Scarlett, I didn't. When Miss Eleanor said that Captain Butler had built you a house I thought I must have misunderstood. But then I got to looking at him and Cat, and she looks just like him! And then I saw you two out there hugging just now!"  
  
"Oh" Scarlett sighed. "Mrs. Fitz, Captain Butler is Cat's father. But it's not what you think! We used to be married, him and I. We were married for years. I never had an affair with Rhett, he was my husband!"  
  
"But-But you told me your husband, that Cat's father, was dead."  
  
"Well it wasn't totally a lie. I was widowed. Twice! Just, not by Cat's father. He divorced me before he knew about the baby. I told you I was a widow because I was ashamed that my husband had divorced me. I didn't tell him he had a daughter till a few weeks ago. That's why he's here, to see Cat. And we- we were hugging just now because I was crying. We had been talking about our daughter."  
  
"Oh, Miss Scarlett, I am sorry. I wasn't knowing, I should've just kept me big mouth shut. Why, if I could ask, were you cryin' if you were talking about Cat?"  
  
Scarlett shook her head.  
  
"No, not Cat" she said quietly. "Bonnie. Our daughter Bonnie, she died about four years ago. We loved her very much. Rhett was a wonderful father to her. I should have told him about Cat sooner. He loves children so much."  
  
"Why didn't you tell him, if I may be so presumptuous as to ask?"  
  
"Because I was afraid." Scarlett said. "I was so afraid that he would take her from me. I was always such a bad mother before. My other children are frightened of me."  
  
"Other children, Miss?"  
  
"Yes. I was married and widowed twice, as I said. I have a child from each marriage. Wade and Ella, they live back in Georgia with my sister. I love them, I do. But they're scared of me. I wasn't a great mother to them. I got so caught up in my work. I was just trying to feed them, though. I was so frightened that they would go hungry. It's horrible not to have food to give to your son. Rhett didn't understand, he thought I never cared for them. Everything came easy to Rhett; he didn't know what it was like to be hungry. I just wanted to make sure that we had enough money to give them food. I worked so hard for it that I never got to see them. Even when I married Rhett and we were rich, I thought I had to work. I just made a mess of things though." Scarlett said as she began to cry. "And now he's gone. He's married to that little hussy Anne. I love him so much and he's gone." Scarlett lay down and buried her face in a pillow. She wouldn't give Rhett or anybody else the satisfaction of hearing her cry. Apprehensively, Mrs. Fitz sat down next to Scarlett and tried to soothe her. But it was not the right hand rubbing her back, and it was not the right voice telling her that everything would be all right.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rhett knew that he should go up and check on his wife but he couldn't. He needed to talk to somebody, somebody who definitely wasn't Anne. He decided to take a little tour of Scarlett's town. Rhett was amazed at how good Scarlett had done for herself. Her home was magnificent, and she even owned a town. Rhett noticed that he was getting some strange looks as he walked down the street. They probably weren't used to visitors in this tightly knit community. He looked up and saw that he was standing by a church. Well, if he had to talk to someone, then why not a priest? At least he could be sure the priest wouldn't tell anybody. At least that's what he vaguely remembered from having been dragged to church in his childhood days. Rhett opened the doors and went in. There was a priest looking at something under a tarp, which he quickly covered up when he heard a noise.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked as he drew near to Rhett.  
  
"I need someone to talk to father." Rhett said.  
  
"Come in, come in." The priest said, motioning for Rhett to sit down on a pew. "What's troubling you, my child?"  
  
"I- I've made a mess of everything." Rhett said as he leaned forward and began to play with the brim of his hat.  
  
"May I ask what brings you to Ballyhara?"  
  
"My daughter. I'm visiting my ex-wife and my daughter." If Rhett had looked up he would have noticed the spark of recognition in Father Colum O'Hara's eyes. "That's what the problem is, my ex. I divorced her about four years ago. I didn't know that she was pregnant with my child. I never would have left her, if I had only known. But I didn't know, and I married someone else."  
  
"Why did you leave her in the first place, my child?"  
  
"Because our marriage was a lost cause. I had loved her for years but she didn't know. She never loved me that whole time. She thought she loved another man. Only when I told her I was leaving did she say that she loved me. I had waited for so long to hear her say that. But I pushed her away. I couldn't love anymore. My daughter was dead; she took all my love with her. At least that's what I thought. I never stopped loving my wife but I couldn't believe her when she professed her love. I thought it was all a ploy to get me to stay. I left, I went away. But she followed me. I still couldn't believe her when she said she loved me. She had loved this other man when he was unavailable to her; she stopped loving him when he was available. How could I know she wouldn't do the same thing to me? I thought I was protecting myself from her and her games. I was only throwing away happiness with both hands, like she had done before. She came here, to Ireland, to visit her family. I thought she had finally given up, that she wasn't coming back. So I divorced her. It was one of the worst mistakes I've ever made in my life. The other was when I married again. Now I find out I have a daughter! But I don't know what to do. I'm tied to a woman I don't love. The woman I do love, and always will, has borne me a child. I think she still loves me, I know I love her. What am I to do, father?" Rhett looked up at Colum with tortured eyes.  
  
"I think you know, my child, that I can't tell you what to do. Not I or anybody else. It is something that you, with God's help, must decide on your own."  
  
Rhett nodded and stood up.  
  
"Thank you father. I feel better already, getting this off my chest."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That night everybody sat down for a somber supper. Scarlett's eyes were red from stinging tears. Anne was still pouting. Rhett didn't even seem to be there. Eleanor was trying to be pleasant, pretending that everyone was getting along. Cat was her normal cheerful self, not picking up on the tension in the room.  
  
"Colum should be here soon, he usually dines with us" Scarlett said.  
  
"Really? I'd like to meet him." Said Rhett.  
  
They sat in silence until Mrs. Fitz announced Colum's arrival. Scarlett went to meet him in the hall. To his surprise she gave him a big hug.  
  
"It's so good to see you, Colum." She said  
  
"Scarlett aroon, it's only been a few days."  
  
"It seems much longer."  
  
They walked into the dining room and Rhett, who had his back to the door, stood up and turned around. His mouth opened and his eyes went wide.  
  
"Rhett I'd like you to meet my cousin, Father Colum O'Hara." Scarlett said, wondering why Rhett looked so shocked. "Colum this is Captain Rhett Butler."  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you." Colum said as he and Rhett shook hands.  
  
"Yes, it is." Rhett said oddly.  
  
"Pity we never had the chance to meet before this" Colum said slowly and clearly. Scarlett looked between the two of them; she was picking up on a strange vibe.  
  
"Well there's no use in letting the food get cold." She said.  
  
They sat down and Scarlett made the introductions around the table. Throughout dinner Colum and Scarlett talked about business in Ballyhara. When dinner was over and the table was cleared Cat began to nod off. "She's had a long day, I should put her to bed." Scarlett said. She stood up and picked Cat up from her chair. "Oh darling when did you become so heavy?" she asked, surprised at Cat's load.  
  
"Let me" Rhett said as he took his daughter from Scarlett's arms.  
  
"Thank you." Said Scarlett. "Her room is down here." They walked to Cat's brightly decorated room.  
  
"Should I go find the nurse to put her to bed?" Rhett asked.  
  
"Cat doesn't have a nurse." Scarlett said.  
  
"She doesn't? I thought that you had enough money to provide for her. If I had known-"  
  
"Rhett if I wanted a nurse I have more then enough money to get one. Cat has never had a nurse. I've always looked after her myself. I don't need anybody raising my child for me, not anymore at least."  
  
"I must say you've surprised me, Scarlett. You're a wonderful mother."  
  
"Thank you. You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that."  
  
Rhett set Cat down on the bed and, with a kiss on her cheek, left the room. He went back to the dining room to find Colum sitting alone.  
  
"You're mother and wife went up to bed." Colum said in explanation. Rhett poured himself a drink and sat down at the table, facing Colum.  
  
"Father Colum O'Hara." He said. "You see, Scarlett failed to mention that first little part."  
  
"I thought as much."  
  
"So that whole time at the church, you knew who I was. And you said nothing"  
  
"You needed to talk to someone." Colum said with a shrug.  
  
"You won't tell anybody what we talked about will you?"  
  
"No of course not."  
  
"Just as you won't tell me what you and Scarlett talk about." Rhett said. Colum just smiled. "Can you answer me one question? You're the only person that knows both sides to the story now. Do you think there's any hope for Scarlett and me?"  
  
"I think that that's something you two are going to determine on your own. By your actions, and by your words. I hope, for the sake of your child, that you can make something work."  
  
"I'd like to thank you." Rhett said. "For taking care of my daughter and my w- and Scarlett."  
  
"It was the least I could do." Colum said kindly.  
  
"No- No it wasn't. I should have been the one who took care of them, but thank you for doing it in my absence."  
  
"Could I ask Captain Butler how long you plan to remain in Ireland?"  
  
"I don't know. I would love to bring Cat to Georgia, but I don't think Scarlett wants to. I can't live here, that's for sure. I want to spend time with my daughter; I want to get to know her. But the last thing I want to do is take her from Scarlett. And you can tell her that if she asks, you can tell Scarlett I won't take Cat."  
  
"You love her very much, don't you?" Colum asked.  
  
"Yes I do." Rhett said, not even thinking to ask whether Colum meant Scarlett or Cat. The answer to both questions was the same. 


	11. Chapter 10 (Sw)

Anne lay in bed waiting for Rhett to appear. Wondering if he were with Scarlett this minute or if he was watching Cat sleep?  
  
Dinner had been a nightmare with Scarlett and then her saintly cousin Father Colum O'Hara staring at her the whole time. Miss Eleanor trying to pretend everything was all right. When it was clear to all in the room except Cat that nothing was all right.  
  
Anne felt so out of place, wishing briefly she had let Rhett come to this God awful place by himself .She couldn't allow that, if he had there was a chance Rhett would forget about her. Not that her presence here was stopping that.  
  
Rhett hadn't been alone with her since they arrived that morning. Anne felt like he was trying to avoid her. No one understood the hell she was going through. Miss Eleanor was trying to stay out of this whole mess her son had made.  
  
Why couldn't her Mother-in-law side with her, was it to much to ask for one person to be on her side? Everyone at Ballyhara was on Scarlett's side. And why wouldn't they be? Scarlett owned the whole town.  
  
The house and its grounds just weren't good enough for Miss Southern Belle she had to buy a town. Who owned a town anyway?  
  
Scarlett had just done all this to make Rhett think she had changed but she hadn't. Women like her never did. They only wanted what they couldn't have. And Rhett was off limits to Mrs. O'Hara.  
  
Anne turned her head as she heard the bedroom door open. The sight of Rhett as he enter made her smile in spite of all the pain he had caused her and the anger she felt at him.  
  
"Rhett, darling" Anne said as he closed the door behind him softly.  
  
Rhett looked at his wife, he had hoped Anne would have been asleep. Sharing a room with her was something he still was getting used to. Two weeks on the ship and the night before at the hotel still hadn't gotten Rhett used to Anne sleeping in the same bed as him. It had been two years since they had shared a bedroom as husband in wife. Ever since Anne had miscarried their child.  
  
Rhett had laughed when he returned to the room Scarlett had once banished him too. Anne had begged him not to leave their room, but Rhett wouldn't have it any other way. Her health was more important then a baby. At least that was the story he told Anne and tried to believe himself. When the truth was that he had just pulled exactly what Scarlett had on him.  
  
It was much easier to dream of Scarlett without Anne lying next to him. In some ways it also made the guilt over pushing Scarlett away bearable.  
  
"Yes, Anne" Rhett replied.  
  
"I was thinking" Anne began not really sure what to say next, then it hit her all at once " that perhaps tomorrow I could spend some time with Cat. Just me and her." Seeing the look of apprehension in Rhett's eyes Anne smiled then added "Rhett she's your daughter and I want to get to know her. After all she's part of our lives. I want to be friends with her."  
  
Rhett didn't know what to say. Would Scarlett mind Anne spending time alone with Cat? Anne was his wife there was no reason other then Scarlett not liking it for Anne not to be able to spend time alone with Cat.  
  
Besides Anne was good with children, she loved them. Usually children loved her as well. And Cat herself seemed to like Anne well enough.  
  
"I'll ask Scarlett tomorrow" Rhett said then walked towards the dressing room to get ready for bed.  
  
Anne just smiled. If she could get Cat to like her perhaps she could use the child to hold onto Rhett.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eleanor Butler tossed and turned. There would be no sleep this night. The tension between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett was so thick it couldn't be cut with a knife.  
  
If it weren't for Cat, Mrs. Butler would be back on the next boat headed for America. But the little girl was a heaven sent to the older woman who had thought she would never hear the words 'granny' ever spoken again to her.  
  
Thank goodness Cat didn't notice. She didn't need to be pulled into this mess that was in a way all about her.  
  
Eleanor did feel for Anne, the poor dear child had married Rhett when she shouldn't have. He wasn't over his first wife or the death of Bonnie.  
  
Why Anne had ever allowed them to live in Scarlett's house in Atlanta, Miss Eleanor would never know. Didn't the young woman have any self respect?  
  
Scarlett was a whole different story. Anyone could see she had been crying from her puffy red eyes. While Miss Eleanor knew Anne wanted her support against Scarlett, she couldn't give it.  
  
Scarlett was the mother of her only grandchild and no matter what happened between Rhett, Anne and Scarlett she wouldn't get involved.  
  
Like she had always done with her son Rhett, Miss Eleanor planned on just standing back and loving him no matter want. 


	12. Chapter 11 (Kat)

Scarlett paced in her bedroom. She was exhausted but sleep would not come. It was rare these past four years if sleep came when she wanted it to. Sometimes she would go for two days without sleeping before she finally collapsed in bed. Then she would have a fitful slumber, tossing and turning. The dream still came, awakening her from the precious few hours of sleep she could get. She would wake up drenched in sweat longing for Rhett to comfort her, for him to take her in his strong arms. He was the only one who could calm her after the dream; the only one who could assure her that everything was all right. Even the drink that had helped her sleep before didn't help much. The nights when she couldn't sleep, which were all too frequent, Scarlett would walk around her home. She walked aimlessly, almost like she was in a trance. She didn't know what she was walking to, didn't know where she was going. Sometimes she would end up in her office, sometimes she would end up in Cat's room. Once in a while she took a bareback ride to Tara, glad that no one could see her in the dark. She must look a sight on those nights, still in her nightgown with her untamed hair flowing down her back. Scarlett decided to try a drink, hoping it would dull her nerves and help her sleep. Everybody would be asleep by now there would be no point in a wrapper. She headed down to the dining room.  
  
   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
   
  
As soon as Anne had fallen asleep Rhett carefully slid out of the bed. The last thing he wanted was for her to wakeup and wonder where he was going. He couldn't exactly tell her that he was going anywhere as long as he didn't have to be near her. Before she had finally fallen asleep she had kept trying to creep closer to him in bed. Was the woman insane? They were in Scarlett's home and she wanted to make love? Rhett had just turned his back to her, making it known that that was off limits.  
  
"God I need a drink" Rhett thought. He went down to the dining room and poured himself a brandy. Just as he brought it to his lips Scarlett entered the room. For a moment he watched her, she was obviously unaware that she wasn't alone. She looked positively bewitching in her almost sheer nightgown. Rhett cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with her not knowing he was there. Scarlett gasped and jumped at the noise.  
  
"It's just me, don't have a heart attack." He said quickly.  
  
"Oh" Scarlett said as she regained her breath. "I thought everyone was asleep."  
  
"I couldn't sleep, obviously neither could you." Rhett said. He poured Scarlett a drink and handed it to her. "That is what you were coming for isn't it?" he asked.  
  
"You know me too well" Scarlett said as she sipped the brandy, leaning against the doorframe now.  
  
"You still have problems sleeping?" Rhett asked with interest.  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be." Scarlett said bitingly. "It's not your problem."  
  
"I care about you, Scarlett. I care if you have sleep problems." Rhett said.  
  
"Please don't say that," Scarlett said pleadingly. "It hurts less to think that you hate me then to think that- that-" She stopped talking and looked down into the amber liquid.  
  
"Then to think what?" Rhett asked curiously.  
  
"Then to think that you still loved me four years ago and you divorced me anyway." Scarlett whispered. "Because if I think that I'll ask myself 'why'. And I've wasted too much time asking myself that already to start doing it again." She looked up at Rhett. "I know now that I'll never know why." She said. Scarlett finished her drink and set in on the table. "Goodnight, Rhett." She said as she left the room, knowing that it wouldn't be one for her. 


	13. Chapter 12 (Sw)

Anne was setting in a lawn chair waiting for Rhett to return with Cat. She knew Scarlett hadn't wanted her alone with the child, but Rhett and Miss Eleanor had pushed until Scarlett had no choice.  
  
Anne knew she had this chance to make Cat like her without Scarlett around. If she could form a bond with the child perhaps Rhett would think about taking Cat back with them when they left. If Cat came to live with them, Scarlett would be out of their lives.  
  
Mrs. O'Hara could fake being a lovely mother for only so long before her true selfish color appeared. When they did Rhett would pack up his daughter and take her home with them where Cat belonged.  
  
Anne knew once they got home to Atlanta with Cat Rhett would be so happy again, they both would be. Since Anne herself couldn't have children Rhett's child would do. Cat could be the daughter she was never going to have.  
  
Now all that stood in the way of her happy dreams was Scarlett O'Hara. Given time the trash would show her true colors. Then Rhett, Cat and she could be a happy family.  
  
Anne smiled as the sight of Rhett and Cat walking towards her hand in hand came into view. Rhett loved that child so much; her heart ached that she couldn't give him another child for him to love. A child that would be half hers and his together.  
  
"Cat" Anne said standing as they came up to her. "We're going to spend the whole day together. I hope we can become friends."  
  
Cat looked up at her Father, she didn't know her 'Aunt Anne' well enough to want to spend all day with her. Rhett saw the anxiety in his young daughter's eyes.  
  
"Why don't we all meet here for tea later?" He asked hoping to calm Cat's frightened nerves.  
  
"Yes, I would like that" Cat replied before Anne could answer the question. "Could Mommy come too?"  
  
Anne winced at the words Mommy coming from Cat's mouth. It wasn't fair, this child should be hers not Scarlett's.  
  
"Of course she can. Rhett you'll tell Mrs. O'Hara won't you?" Anne asked smiling mischievously as she said Mrs. O'Hara reminding her husband just who Scarlett was now.  
  
"Well I better hurry if I'm going to catch Scarlett before she leaves. She had some type of business needing her attention this morning." Rhett said then bent down on his knees so he was eye level with Cat.  
  
"Why don't you show Anne around Ballyhara, Cat? She hasn't had a chance to see it all yet."  
  
Cat nodded her head yes then hugged her father goodbye. She didn't know why but Anne scared her, something that wasn't easy to do.  
  
Anne watched as her husband left then turned her eyes onto the child left alone with her. "I would love to see Ballyhara Cat. Why don't you show me your favorite places?" Anne asked faking the sweetness in her voice.  
  
"Would you like to see my pony Ree?" Cat asked it was always fun to show off her pony.  
  
"I would like that very much" Anne said making a mental note to ask Rhett what he thought of his only child having a pony after Bonnie's accident.  
  
Cat took Anne's hand and led her to the stables. The first thing Anne noticed when entering them was the awful smell. It made her feel faint. Cat was just smiling happily as she walked past stall after stall and the smell kept getting stronger and stronger.  
  
How the child could spend one minute in here Anne didn't know. But she tried to smile and not let the smell get to her. After all Cat was trying to be nice, the child seemed to want to be friends.  
  
Anne felt great joy when Cat stopped in front of a stall and said loudly "This is my pony Ree." Anne watched Cat climb over the gate and then pat her pony "Ree this is my Aunt Anne"  
  
Anne couldn't help but laugh at the child. She was such a tomboy, the first thing Anne planned on doing once the child came to live with Rhett and she was to break that habit. Cat shouldn't be in the stables playing with horses.  
  
"Where to now?" Anne asked wanting nothing more then to get out of the stables and get away from the smell.  
  
Cat stopped as if she was thinking then a smirk appeared on her lips as she replied.  
  
"My tower"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anne was out of breath as she fell back into the lawn chair she had began this day in. How was she to know when the child talked about her tower it wasn't part of house but instead deep in the muddy woods that surrounded Ballyhara.  
  
Anne's mouth had fallen open once they had gotten there and Cat expected her to climb a rope ladder up to her tower. Telling the child Ladies didn't climb ladder, was met with Cat telling her how her mother always did. Yet another thing Scarlett did that she could not.  
  
Cat then left Anne behind as she went up to her Tower and played. The little girl didn't return for hours it seemed. What she could be doing up there alone, Anne hadn't a clue.  
  
After that Anne was ready to head back to Ballyhara giving up her thoughts of Cat and she ever being close. The child she now thought of as a mini Scarlett had other ideas though.  
  
Taking her hand, Cat had decided they could pick flowers together. Something Anne thought sounded nice. And she even reconsidered her earlier thoughts of the child. Until they started picking flowers and Cat wandered away coming back a few minutes later with some type of small animal in her tiny arms, holding it for Anne to take.  
  
Screaming, Anne backed away from Cat like she was a wild animal herself. Cat got a look of confused on her face then let the small fuzzy friend she had made go free.  
  
All the way to Ballyhara Anne heard how Cat's Mommy never screamed about an animal. Or how it never bothered her to walk this far from the house. If that wasn't bad enough; those green eyes of Scarlett's kept looking at her through Cat .It was enough to drive a person insane.  
  
Finally getting back to the house Cat had stated she couldn't wait to have tea with her Mommy and Daddy. That was when it dawned on Anne, no matter what she did; she could never take Scarlett's place as Cat's mother.  
  
Cat had said they would arrive early and they did. Neither Rhett nor Scarlett we're there yet. Cat had then left her to rest as she went to find Mrs. Fitz to order their tea.  
  
Anne was just catching her breath when Cat, followed by Mrs. Fitz carrying a tray, showed up. The older women smiled kindly at Anne, and Anne did the same in return, knowing the other woman probably hated her Surely Scarlett had poisoned everyone's mind at Ballyhara against her.  
  
"Thank you, Mrs. Fitz" Anne said as she watched the woman lay the tray on the table before her.  
  
"Your welcome Mrs. Butler. Mrs. O'Hara and Mr. Butler should be along shortly." Mrs. Fitz replied then turned to leave. Ever since learning the truth about Mrs. O and Mr. Butler she couldn't stand to be around Anne. The girl had a look to her that she didn't like.  
  
Anne fixed herself and Cat a cup of tea while she waited for her husband and his ex-wife to show up. The child's nose wrinkled up as she sipped her tea. "To sweet, Mommy never makes it that sweet"  
  
Anne felt her anger boil over. She couldn't stand it a second longer. Four years of being compared to Scarlett had finally come to a maddening scream in Anne's mind. She was never good enough. She was always supposed to understand and be forgiving let Rhett moon away for his former wife and dead child.  
  
Everyone was always saying how she was the perfect wife. It was a shame Rhett couldn't let go of the past.  
  
Now here she was in Scarlett's house, setting at a table with a child that shouldn't exist or rightfully be hers. Getting told she wasn't good enough either. Without another word being spoken Anne's hand went up and across Cat's tiny face making a sound so loud Anne was sure it could be heard a mile away.  
  
As Cat's cries and tears reached Anne's eyes and ears her hand went to her open mouth. What had she just done? 


	14. Chapter 13 (Kat)

Scarlett was just coming out from the house to tea when she saw Anne's hand come down across Cat's face. Scarlett cried out and ran to her daughter, taking her in her arms. She looked up at Anne over Cat's shoulder, fury clearly written across her face. Anne was standing with her mouth hanging open, staring at her hand.  
  
"Kittycat, are you are alright, baby?" Scarlett asked as she pulled apart from her daughter and looked at her. Cat rubbed her red cheek and nodded. "Honey, why don't you go in the house and find Mrs. Fitz. I have to talk to Anne." Scarlett said. She shot a look at Anne that filled the woman with fear. Cat walked into the house. As soon as she was out of sight, Scarlett turned around and started bearing down on Anne. "How dare you slap my daughter?" she seethed. "What kind of a woman does that?"  
  
"I—I didn't mean to." Anne stuttered.  
  
"You didn't mean to?" Scarlett yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry! I just lost my temper" Anne stammered  
  
"Lose your temper with me, Anne!" Scarlett shouted. "Slap me! Or is that not your style, huh? You like to be the bigger person don't you? You go for the small defenseless people, don't you?" Scarlett raised her hand; intent on inflicting the pain Cat had felt onto Anne.  
  
" I wouldn't do that, Scarlett." Rhett's voice came from behind. Scarlett dropped her hand and turned to look at him. "What's going on here?" he asked.  
  
"What's going on?" Scarlett repeated. "What's going on is that your insane wife attacked our daughter!" Rhett started and stared at Anne.  
  
"What?"  
  
"She slapped Cat. I told you that she shouldn't be left alone with her, I told you!" Scarlett yelled.  
  
"You slapped my daughter?" Rhett asked Anne in a measured tone. He was trying to keep his cool but he was evidently furious.  
  
"Rhett I'm so sorry!" Anne cried. "I just lost my temper and-and it's so painful to see her knowing that she's your and Mrs. O'Hara's."  
  
"Painful?!" Scarlett shouted. "I'll show you pain, you-you witch! You've never known any pain in your perfect little life!"  
  
"That's enough Scarlett." Rhett warned.  
  
"Get out of my house." Scarlett said calmly to Anne. "I don't want to ever see you again. I don't want Cat to ever see you again. If you don't get out of my house I won't be able to control my actions."  
  
"Scarlett you cannot kick my wife out." Said Rhett.  
  
"I can do anything I damn well please. This is my house, is it not?"  
  
"We just got here, I just got to meet my daughter!"  
  
"Rhett I'm so sorry" Anne whimpered.  
  
"Anne go into the house, Scarlett and I need to talk."  
  
"But Rhett let me stay. We can work this out-"  
  
"In the house, Anne! We'll talk later." Rhett said forebodingly. Anne opened her mouth to speak, but then turned and walked apprehensively into the house.  
  
"I mean it Rhett." Scarlett said, turning to him. "I want her out of my house."  
  
"Scarlett you can't do that. If you kick her out I have to go with her. I just met Cat, I don't want to leave." Rhett said.  
  
"Well I'm sorry but that's the way it's going to be. None of this would have happened if you had just listened to me. I told you I didn't want Anne to be alone with Cat, and you ignored me."  
  
"I never thought that Anne would do something like this. She's never hurt a fly in her life."  
  
"But the fact is that she slapped my daughter and I want her out."  
  
Rhett sighed. "I don't want to have to go to a lawyer and get custody of Cat." He said. Scarlett gaped at him.  
  
"You promised." She whispered. "You promised me." Rhett shrugged. "Is that a threat?" Scarlett asked.  
  
"It could be take as one." Rhett returned.  
  
"Well then here's one for you. If you go to a lawyer, I'll turn Cat against you. And if you ever try to take her from me, I'll shoot you."  
  
"Scarlett you and I both know that you could never shoot a man."  
  
"Don't underestimate me, Rhett. I've killed a man before. I am more then capable."  
  
"You wh-" Rhett began before Scarlett interrupted him.  
  
"I want your wife out of my house in no more then three hours. If she's not gone, I may have to have some of my strapping cousins assist her. Your mother is more then welcome to stay, if she wants to. If you'll excuse me, I have to go tend to my daughter."  
  
"I wish you weren't doing this Scarlett." Rhett said petulantly.  
  
"I wish I didn't have to." Scarlett said before she turned and went in search of Cat. 


	15. Chapter 14 (Sw)

Anne looked at the ocean it seemed like just yesterday Rhett, she and Miss Eleanor had left Charleston to meet Cat.  
  
But unlike that trip across the ocean this one wasn't about meeting anyone. It was all about ends. Anne knew her marriage to Rhett was over. He had said as much when they boarded the ship. She could still hear his words. "You're going home to Charleston, Anne, I've wired and all of your things from my Atlanta house will be there waiting for you."  
  
It seemed Rhett had finally listened to her demands and had bought them a summerhouse in Charleston it was going to be a surprise birthday gift for her. But now it was going to be her home. Anne felt tears well up in her eyes.  
  
As much as Anne wanted to blame Scarlett on the end of her marriage, she couldn't. Scarlett wasn't the one who had hit a defenseless child. No that honor went to herself.  
  
Anne didn't know how or when it happened but she had turned into a monster. When was the last time she had felt like herself? Anne questioned.  
  
It was before she had married Rhett, and had moved to Atlanta. Living with a man who didn't love her drove Anne crazy. But she had been so sure once they had a child of their own, Rhett would realize he loved her and not Scarlett.  
  
Trying for so long only to miscarry their baby had hurt but the pain was worsened by the fact, Dr. Meade told Rhett she couldn't have anymore child without risk to her life. Begging Rhett not to move out of their bedroom was only met by Rhett insisting it was for the best.  
  
Years of knowing that her husband dreamed of another woman at night. Living in that woman's house, walking past Scarlett's bedroom everyday never being allowed into it.  
  
Anne saw now just what that had cost her. It wasn't just a husband but a part of herself as well. She couldn't live this life any longer. Rhett was never hers, so why should it hurt to let him go?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rhett walked the deck he had passed Anne setting in a deck chair a few minutes earlier. His anger at the fact he was here on this ship headed back to America when he should be playing with his daughter now was clear in his eyes.  
  
His mother had stayed with Scarlett and Cat. Surprisingly, she had agreed with her former daughter in law, as far as his Mother was concerned Anne wasn't allowed around her only grandchild.  
  
Rhett knew they were both right. And as much as he wanted to kill Anne for touching his daughter, Rhett found he couldn't. Because deep down Rhett knew he had caused this himself. He had married Anne when he shouldn't have. All he had brought to her young life was pain.  
  
Anne seemed to be taking the news of the end of their marriage well. She wasn't begging for a second chance as Scarlett had. Just one more point to show how different she was from his current wife. If it we're Rhett he would do anything it took to win his spouse over.  
  
As soon as the divorce was granted Rhett planned on returning to his daughter. He didn't want to think about how things stood between him and Scarlett. If he asked would she give him a second chance? When he hadn't for her.  
  
Rhett wanted the life he had thrown away over four years ago without even knowing it. And would do anything to make that happen.  
  
Rhett smiled remembering the promise he had made Cat when he left. "I will be back soon. Then we can be a family." 


	16. Chapter 15 (Kat)

The days after Rhett left went by deathly slow for Scarlett. She went from being alternately furious, lovelorn, and scared. She was frightened that Rhett would go through with his threat and attempt to take Cat from her. Scarlett hated to let Cat out of her sight, much to the dismay of the little girl who loved to run around by herself. Eleanor grew closer and closer to Cat and showered her with her love, Cat adored her "Granny Butler." At first it was a daily thing for Cat to ask where he daddy had gone. Her questions diminished as she saw her mommy's face fall every time she asked. One night, after Cat had been put to bed, Eleanor and Scarlett sat in front of the fire.  
  
"Do you think he'll come back?" Scarlett asked quietly.  
  
"My dear, I don't think he could stay away if he wanted to." Eleanor said kindly.  
  
"I hope you're right, Miss Eleanor, I really do." Scarlett sighed.  
  
"You love my son, don't you?" Eleanor asked. Scarlett looked at her with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Very much." She said honestly. "I wish I didn't sometimes, but I do."  
  
"He certainly has made a mess of things, hasn't he?" Eleanor mused.  
  
"We kind of did it together. Our whole life together was just a bunch of misunderstandings and miscommunications. What was it that Rhett said? Oh yes, he said that we were at cross purposes." Scarlett bit her lip, trying not to cry, as she remembered the night he had said that. That horrible night that had brought her world crashing down. In one fell-swoop both Melanie and Rhett had been taken from her. "Is it wrong for me to love him?" Scarlett asked. "Is it wrong for me to love another woman's husband? Is it wrong to dream about him coming home to me and to our daughter?"  
  
"Darling, of course not. "Eleanor said. "It was wrong for Anne to- pursue him while he was married" She added hesitatingly. Scarlett wiped her eyes and nodded slowly. "May I ask you something that's been troubling me, dear?"  
  
"Of course, you may ask me anything."  
  
"What went wrong between you and Rhett? You love him and he- he always adored you."  
  
"A million things went wrong that just added up to us not being able to be together." Scarlett said. "Bonnie's death took so much out of him. He was so different after that, so bitter. We said horrible things to each other over the years. I don't think he ever forgave himself for my miscarriage. It wasn't his fault, it was nobody's. Right before I fell I had told him that I didn't want the baby, even though I did. He said that I should cheer up; maybe I would have a miscarriage. He must have felt horrible for that. But I think the main reason we aren't together today is love. I never knew I loved him until it was- to late. And I never knew that he loved me. I was so stupid; I don't know how I didn't see it. I was such a child then. I pushed him away for years until he had finally had enough and he left. He said that he had no more love left." Scarlett's eyes were now running with tears. She checked her pocket for a handkerchief and found one of Rhett's, the one he had given her when he had first come to Ballyhara. "So he divorced me and here we are today." Scarlett finished. "And if you were wondering about the divorce then well, you probably know more about that than I do. It was, um, it was pretty sudden. I was so shocked that he had done that, I didn't understand. To this day I still don't. I know we could have worked things out, I just know but he didn't even want to try. He just gave up and ran away like he's so good at. Every time something goes wrong he just…. runs. He never gave a damn about my feelings, I don't think he thought I had any. I wish I didn't love him, but I do. I love him so much and I've missed him so much for these four years."  
  
"Oh, you poor dear." Eleanor said, reaching out to pat Scarlett's hand.  
  
"The thing I don't get is, why didn't he ask my relatives in Savannah where I had gone before he divorced me? I said in the note I left you that that's where I was going."  
  
"Note? I never got any note, my dear."  
  
"You- you didn't? But I left it with Rosemary! She said she would give it to you!"  
  
"Oh dear. Rosemary never gave me a note."  
  
"That's why he didn't come for me." Scarlett said amazedly. "I was so sure that he was going to come for me. Then he didn't, so I came here and this whole mess began." She said, shaking her head.  
  
"Mommy, why you cryin'?" Cat's voice came from across the room.  
  
"Cat O'Hara! You are supposed to be in bed!" Scarlett said, trying to sound stern. Cat came over and climbed up on Scarlett's lap.  
  
"Were you crying because Daddy went away?" she asked.  
  
"You're too smart for your own good, Kittycat. Yes I was crying because of Daddy."  
  
"You shouldn't, he's coming back. I know he is, he said so."  
  
"He did?" Scarlett asked.  
  
"Uh-huh. He said 'I'll be back soon and then we can be a family'"  
  
Scarlett mulled this over in her mind. What did he mean by we? Did he mean her and him and Cat? Or did he mean him and Anne and Cat? 


	17. Chapter 16 (Sw)

Rhett waited for the train to stop, anxious to be on his way to Anne's  
  
house. He had gotten the divorce pages this morning. And planned on having  
  
them signed by dinner and himself back on the train to Atlanta where he  
  
could file them.  
  
Henry Hamilton was shocked to say the least when Rhett had walked into  
  
his office asking for his help in getting a divorce. The old man had at  
  
first refused out right until Rhett had told him, his reason for waiting  
  
to end his marriage.  
  
Hearing how Anne had treated Scarlett's child, Henry agreed but swore  
  
Rhett to never tell anyone he had helped. Rhett had promised, and watched  
  
as the older man got to work on getting Rhett his freedom.  
  
The train stopped and Rhett got up off his seat and headed for the  
  
exit. Hoping Anne didn't have a change of heart, Rhett barley noticed his  
  
sister Rosemary setting waiting from him as he left the train. What the  
  
devil was she doing here? Rhett hadn't spoken to his sister since before  
  
he left to meet Cat. Rosemary had been visiting friends in Savannah at  
  
the time and Rhett hadn't even gotten the chance to tell her about her  
  
niece yet.  
  
"Rosemary it's a pleasure to see you. How did you know I was coming in  
  
today?" Rhett asked as he hugged his baby sister.  
  
Rosemary smiled but Rhett could see there was fear behind it.Whatever  
  
could Rosemary have to fear from him?  
  
Perhaps she was here in Anne's place to plead for their doomed  
  
marriage. After all Rosemary and Anne we're as close as sisters.  
  
"Anne told me, Rhett. She told me everything." Rosemary said pulling away  
  
from her brother.  
  
"Did she?" He asked. Rhett should have known Anne would have. Was it to  
  
much to think Anne would have kept her mouth shut about his daughter? If  
  
she had spread some awful rumors about Scarlett or Cat, Rhett would not  
  
hold his temper any longer. The only reason he hadn't touched her, was  
  
because he needed Anne to sign the divorce pages.  
  
"She did Rhett, please don't be mad at Anne. I forced it out of her."  
  
Rosemary knew from the look on her brother's face he didn't like the  
  
idea of Anne telling anyone about his daughter.  
  
"I see" Rhett replied.  
  
"I truly did Rhett, Anne was so upset but wouldn't tell me why." Rosemary  
  
said as she linked her arm through Rhett's. "Anne told me about what she  
  
did to Cat, and I know she regrets it."  
  
Rhett didn't reply to that. As much as he wanted to believe Anne was  
  
sorry for ever laying a hand on his daughter he still wanted to kill  
  
her for doing such a thing. Cat is nothing more then a baby, how Anne  
  
could hurt her was beyond reason to Rhett. Yes, he had pushed Anne to the  
  
breaking point, but it should have been him not his child who paid the  
  
price.  
  
"Since you've seen Anne, then you must know why I'm here today?" Rhett  
  
asked as they passed through the train station. Having planned on only  
  
spending the day here Rhett didn't have any trunks with him.  
  
"She mentioned you we're bringing the divorce pages for her to sign  
  
today. "Rosemary stated biting her lower lip. Something Rhett had never  
  
seen his sister do before. Whatever it was she had to speak to him about,  
  
must be very upsetting to her. "Rhett, if you think I'm here to try to  
  
talk you out of divorcing Anne, I'm not"  
  
"That's good to know" Rhett said as he hailed a cab. He didn't have time  
  
to just wait for Rosemary to make up her mind if she was going to tell  
  
him whatever was on her mind or not. If he wanted to make the late train  
  
to Atlanta tonight.  
  
As Rhett helped his sister into the carriage he asked her "Why are you  
  
here then Rosemary?"  
  
"Rhett I've done something at the time I thought it was the right thing,  
  
but now I see how wrong it was of me." Rosemary couldn't look in Rhett's  
  
eyes once he learned what she had done he would hate her.  
  
"Please tell me you didn't allow yourself to be compromised? And I have  
  
to fight a duel in your honor?" Rhett jested knowing if Rosemary had he  
  
would never learn of it.  
  
Laughing, Rosemary watched her brother take the seat across from her. She  
  
was glad he had. It would be easier this way, when she told him. "No my  
  
honor isn't in question."  
  
"Rosemary whatever it is you've done, no matter what I could never be  
  
mad at you." Rhett said trying to ease Rosemary's troubled mind.  
  
"Yes you will. Rhett when Scarlett left she didn't just go without  
  
telling anyone." Rosemary could see Rhett's dark eyes grow hard as she  
  
continued to talk.  
  
"Scarlett gave me a note to give to Mother. I was angry with her, I  
  
blamed her for your leaving the way you did. So I burned her note and  
  
never told anyone that I saw Scarlett leave."  
  
Rhett turned his head, he wouldn't look at his sister now he couldn't  
  
not with the anger in his eyes. Scarlett hadn't left him high and dry  
  
without a clue as to where she was. She had left a note with Rosemary,  
  
knowing Scarlett the note had in it where she was going. It only he had  
  
known. The only reason he had divorced Scarlett, was to punish her for  
  
leaving him. Then when she hadn't returned, he had figured Scarlett  
  
didn't love him any longer, and to prove he didn't love her, he married  
  
Anne.  
  
Scarlett's letter informing him about Cat, told a story along the same  
  
lines. Scarlett had believed he had known she was in Savannah with her  
  
Aunts. So when she went on her trip to Ireland Scarlett never dreamed he  
  
was going to divorce her and be remarried before she could return and  
  
tell him about their baby.  
  
Rhett closed his eyes to block out the guilt he was feeling for what  
  
pain Scarlett must have felt learning he wasn't her husband any  
  
longer. Then to learn he had married someone else so soon, had to have  
  
made her feel like he hadn't cared for her at all.  
  
If only Rosemary had given the note to their Mother none of this would  
  
have happened. Rhett would have, after much soul searching, ran after  
  
Scarlett.  
  
Rhett opened his eyes and found he couldn't blame Rosemary she looked so  
  
afraid he would. It was his fault, he shouldn't have told his sister  
  
about his problems with Scarlett. Rosemary was only trying to look out  
  
for him, and for that he couldn't be mad at her.  
  
"You hate me now, don't you Rhett?" Rosemary cried out holding her tears  
  
no longer. Because of her Rhett had lost years with his daughter.  
  
Rhett moved so he was now setting next to his sister taking her into his  
  
arms he whispered "I don't hate you Rosemary, I never could. Don't cry  
  
everything is going to work out in the end."  
  
Rosemary's eyes locked onto her brother's and she knew what he meant. It  
  
looked as if Scarlett was once more going to be her sister in law if  
  
Rhett had any say in the matter.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Anne walked around her small house. Rhett had just left with their signed  
  
divorce pages. Rosemary had tagged along and wanted to stay with her,  
  
but Anne hadn't felt up to company.  
  
She had just signed a big part of her life away. Yes, it had been a  
  
unhappy part of her life but a big part none the less.  
  
Atlanta and the people there were probably calling Rhett the divorced  
  
man by now. Two divorces, no one had ever heard of that before. When he  
  
returned there married to Scarlett and with Cat in tow. Perhaps then  
  
Atlanta would understand better. After all wasn't it there where he  
  
courted, later married, and lived with Scarlett?  
  
Anne was looking forward to walking down the street and not be compared  
  
to Scarlett. To talking to people and wondering if they had like Scarlett  
  
better then she?  
  
To living a life free of ghost from the past. But most of all to live  
  
life as a Hampton again. Anne had asked Rhett to see to it that she got  
  
back her maiden name. It would be to much to bare being called Mrs. Butler  
  
everyday knowing she truly wasn't any longer .That that name now, as it  
  
always had, belonged to another.  
  
Anne just smiled as the sun started to set. There was no use looking back.  
  
Pain was all she would find. The future was bright and it didn't hold a  
  
promise of heart break like her past had.  
  
Anne silently whispered "I hope Scarlett, Cat and you make a happy family,  
  
Rhett I truly do" 


	18. Chapter 17 (Kat)

Scarlett sighed as she looked out over the remains of the real Tara. It had been two months now since Rhett had gone back to America, but the hurt hadn't lessened in the least. Scarlet missed him more then she could express. She missed his voice, missed the slightest touch of his hand on hers, missed how his massive physique could take up an entire room but he could still be so graceful. Over the years she had always missed him, but now it was so much worse. It was like she had only gotten a small glimpse of him before he had gone off again. This ride to Tara had done little to clear Scarlett's head, as she had hoped it would. She was standing on the edge of a tall precipice looking out blindly when she heard him.  
  
"It's not worth it, you know." Rhett's voice came from behind. Scarlett got over her initial shock at him being there and decided to feign indifference, as if she had been expecting him right that moment.  
  
"What isn't worth it?" she asked, still with her back to him.  
  
"Throwing yourself over." He said.  
  
"You conceited fool, I suppose you think I would do that just for you?" Scarlett gave a wry laugh. Finally she turned to look at him. "Cat said you would come back."  
  
"She's a smart girl then, isn't she?" Rhett said with a smile.  
  
"How did you know I was here anyway?" Scarlett asked.  
  
"Bribed your stable boy. You really should get better help."  
  
Scarlett couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stand to converse with him, knowing that soon he would go back home to his wife. Fearing that she was going to start crying, which he surely couldn't see, Scarlett began to walk away.  
  
"Go home to your wife, Rhett" she said over her shoulder when she was about a yard away from him  
  
"That's what I'm trying to do, but you're not helping!" Rhett yelled. Scarlett stopped and turned to look at him. What was he playing at? She walked back to him.  
  
"Are you drunk?" She asked in disbelief.  
  
"Never soberer."  
  
"Then what are you talking about?" Scarlett questioned with a great deal of interest.  
  
"I'm not married to Anne anymore." Rhett said. Scarlett's heart skipped at his words.  
  
"You- you aren't? You divorced her?" she stammered.  
  
"Yes, I did. I was furious with her for hurting Cat. It wasn't meant to be; everybody knew that. I never loved Anne, and I don't think she ever really loved me." Scarlett digested this information slowly.  
  
"Wh- what are you doing here?" she asked as if in a trance.  
  
"I've come to beg your forgiveness for acting like a bastard." Said Rhett.  
  
"My forgiveness?" Scarlett repeated. Rhett took her hand in his and gently kissed her palm.  
  
"I'm sorry, Scarlett. I'm sorry for everything. I didn't know you had left a note saying where you went; Rosemary burnt it. I thought you didn't love me anymore. It killed me to think that you didn't love me anymore. I would have come for you, Scarlett, I would've come." He murmured.  
  
"You would have?" Scarlett said in a shaky voice.  
  
"Darling I'll always come to you, I love you." Rhett said  
  
"But you said that you didn't, not anymore." Scarlett whispered, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.  
  
"I lied. I could never stop loving you, Scarlett, God knows I tried." Rhett crooned, looking concerned at Scarlett's altered breathing. "Are you alright, darling?" he asked gently. Scarlett nodded and threw her arms around Rhett's neck, pulling him into an embrace.  
  
"It's just a bit of a shock, Rhett." Scarlett laughed over his shoulder. Rhett pulled apart from her and held her before him.  
  
"Marry me." He said simply. Scarlett bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair.  
  
"I don't know, Rhett." She said quietly. She looked down at the red dirt, not bearing to look in his eyes. "How do we know that it won't be like last time?"  
  
"Everything's different this time, Scarlett, everything's changed. It won't be like last time, I promise you. We have Cat and- and you do still love me, don't you?"  
  
Scarlett looked up and they locked eyes.  
  
"Oh, Rhett, of course I do." She breathed.  
  
"Then let's get married, there's nothing stopping us." Rhett said softly. "WAIT!" He yelled. "I have a ring!" he continued as he began to frantically paw around his pockets. "I didn't have time to get a box or anything, I was in a bit of a rush to get back to you, my dear. I can't believe I forgot the ring. How can a man propose without a ring?" Aah here it is." Rhett pulled out a thin gold band encircled with glimmering diamonds.  
  
"Rhett! It's magnificent!" Scarlett exclaimed, entranced by the way the diamonds sent little rainbows shooting up and down Rhett's open palm.  
  
"I thought you would like it." Rhett said, smiling widely. "It fits your style much more then the first one I got you, that disgrace to jewelry. So, what's the answer?"  
  
"Hmm? The answer?" Scarlett said absentmindedly.  
  
"Yes, I seem to remember asking you a little question. It was nothing, really, just something about our marital status." Rhett jibed.  
  
"Oh that. " Scarlett said, a grin stealing across her face. "I suppose I could give marriage another chance. Fourth times the charm, right?"  
  
"It damn well better be!" Rhett said with a smile, though there was an underlying tone of sincerity.  
  
"Oh Rhett it will be, I just know it." Scarlett proclaimed. "And you know how I know that?" She asked coquettishly as she snaked her arms around Rhett's neck.  
  
"How's that, my pet?" Rhett asked, reveling in Scarlett's touch.  
  
"Because God help me, Rhett Butler, I love you." Rhett brought his lips down upon Scarlett's for a kiss that was matched in its passion only by it's tenderness. It was a kiss so full of love that Scarlett felt the void that had remained inside of her for the past four years slowly melt away to a feeling of total completeness. When they broke the kiss, after a substantial amount of time had passed, Rhett slid the diamond ring onto Scarlett's hand. Scarlett leaned her cheek against Rhett's broad chest and he held her close to him.  
  
"Rhett, I have a few demands. Seeing as I have forgiven you and taken you back so quickly, I would advise you agree to them, my love." Scarlett said jestingly.  
  
"Demands, really? I don't know, my dear, I'll have to know what they are first."  
  
"Well there are three actually."  
  
"Three? Do proceed."  
  
"Well, you have to promise me that you won't run. When we fight- and we will fight, Rhett- don't run off. I know that that's your solution to things a lot of times, but it's gotten us into some trouble. So do you think that once in a while we can sit down and talk to each other like rational people?"  
  
"Scarlett I promise you I won't run away. It's a bad habit of mine I know. But let's just hope there's no reason I would ever want to run away. What's your second demand?" Scarlett shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to bring her next "demand" up but knowing that she had to.  
  
"If- and when- we fight, don't bring up my previous childish obsession with Ashley. I don't love him now if I ever did. Actually, can you just try to never bring that up? If we're going to turn a new leaf, if we're going to start over, then we need to forget about past things." She said awkwardly. Rhett remained silent for a few long moments, frightening Scarlett.  
  
"I'll try not to, my pet. It might be a little hard at first though. But I promise I'll try." He said finally.  
  
"Well my third demand should be easier, Rhett." Scarlett said, relieved that he wasn't upset. "Take me home. I miss Georgia so much. I miss Tara and my kids. Heck I even miss Suellen! And I can't wait to show Cat her real home, because even though she's never been there it should be her home. I feel like I've been such a bad friend to Melly. I promised her that I would look after Beau and- and Ashley too, and I haven't even seen Beau for four years. We can redecorate that horrid house and we can live there; you, me, Cat, Wade and Ella." Scarlett said with mounting enthusiasm.  
  
"Of course we can go home. I was planning on it anyway. I'm excited to show Cat our home, too." Rhett said.  
  
"Oh Rhett we can be a real family, just like we were always supposed to be!" Scarlett said joyfully as she looked up at Rhett with a wide smile across her face.  
  
"You bet we can, my love, you and me and Cat and Wade and Ella. And there could be more children too, don't you think?" Rhett observed Scarlett's face falling at his last comments. "Well that's all in the future, my dear, we don't have to think about that now." He said quickly, misinterpreting her look to mean that she didn't desire more children.  
  
"No, we do. I would love more children, I really would. But I can't give you more children, Rhett; I wish I could so much. But when I had Cat it was really rough. They thought I was going to die, actually. Thank God everything turned out okay, but I can't have more children. I'm sorry, Rhett, I'm so sorry." Scarlett said regretfully, wanting nothing more then to give Rhett more children.  
  
"Darling, I don't care if you can't have more children. I'm more worried about you. You're okay now, aren't you? I mean you- you're alright?" Rhett said, guilt and worry written across his face. Scarlett reached up and laid her hand on his cheek.  
  
"I'm fine, Rhett. I'm perfectly fine. I just have to take care of myself, that's all." She said reassuringly.  
  
"Damn it." Rhett spat. "I should have been here, Scarlett. I'll never forgive myself for that. I should have been here."  
  
"You can't keep saying that! You weren't here; we can't change that. I've done all right on my own. The only thing that matters is here and now. And right now we're together and that's all I care about. All that matters is that we're in love."  
  
"You're right, Scarlett." Rhett said before he kissed her again, feeling like he couldn't go another moment without her lips upon his. 


	19. Chapter 18 (Sw)

Her mommy always told Cat about the Tara she was from and how the old  
  
one always reminded her of it. So the little girl felt that was why her  
  
parents had chose this as the place they would remarry.  
  
Cat had been thrilled with the news her daddy would never leave her  
  
again. He had kept his promise and soon, like he had said, they we're going  
  
to be a family.  
  
Eleanor Butler. who stood standing behind Cat as Rhett and Scarlett  
  
stood hand in hand with Colum before them, just smiled as she watched  
  
her son remarry the woman he loved.  
  
Cat didn't understand what Colum meant when he said "I've been looking  
  
forward to this for a long time" Had he somehow known her parents would  
  
get back together when they themselves hadn't?  
  
It really didn't matter all that did was standing before her. Cat had  
  
never in her short life seen her mother so happy. Mrs. Fitz, who was  
  
standing behind Rhett, had told Granny Butler that Scarlett always, until  
  
Rhett showed up, had a longing in her emerald eyes.  
  
Cat pulled at her green skirt that matched her Mother's perfectly. It had  
  
been her Daddy's idea that both his girls should dress in green to show  
  
off their eyes. Cat loved it when her Father called her his girl.  
  
Listening to the vows being spoken Cat noticed her Mother had tears in her  
  
eyes. But weren't weddings supposed to be happy?  
  
"Do you, Katie Scarlett O'Hara, take Rhett Butler to be your husband to  
  
love, honor, cherish, and, obey to death do you part?" Colum asked and  
  
smiled at his younger cousin. This was what Scarlett had been praying and  
  
dreaming of since the day he had met her, for her former, now soon to be,  
  
husband once again to love her.  
  
Tears ran down Scarlett's face as she looked lovingly into Rhett's  
  
eyes. Cat watched as her Father used his hand to gently wipe them away.  
  
"I do" Scarlett replied never taking her eyes from Rhett's.  
  
Colum then repeated the vow for Rhett. Everyone laughed as Rhett answered  
  
"I do" before Colum could even finish asking him.  
  
Cat turned her head as her Father pulled Scarlett into his arms. She knew  
  
what would come next. Looking back after a minute Cat wasn't surprised to  
  
find her parents still with their lips locked.  
  
"Katie, what have you been doing this week? I haven't seen you" Colum  
  
asked as he walked around the newly remarried couple.  
  
"I rode Ree and took Granny Butler to my tower" Cat stated as her  
  
Grandmother walked towards her.  
  
"Mrs. Butler" Colum said turning slightly to look at the older  
  
woman. "Don't tell me, you let Cat talk you into climbing that rope  
  
ladder?"  
  
Eleanor just smiled as she nodded her head. "It's a secret, I'm afraid if  
  
Rhett heard of it, he wouldn't allow Cat and me to go in the woods  
  
alone." Eleanor only had climbed the ladder once. Cat had told her so  
  
often of her Tower that she couldn't pass up the chance to see it just  
  
once.  
  
"Aunt Anne was wrong." Cat said as she saw her parents pull apart." A  
  
lady can climb a ladder, just like I told her."  
  
Neither Colum or Eleanor commented on that. Both had forgotten about  
  
Rhett's second wife. Today was all about Scarlett and Rhett, that second  
  
chances we're possible.  
  
As Rhett and Scarlett walked towards the small group Mrs. Fitz walked up  
  
to them.  
  
"I want to be the first one to say congratulations. I wish you both  
  
nothing but happiness. Now I must be getting back to Ballyhara and make  
  
sure everything is ready for dinner."  
  
"Are you happy, Mrs. Butler?" Rhett asked.  
  
  
  
"Extremely, Mr. Butler. I couldn't have pictured a more wonderful day."  
  
  
  
Tbc... 


	20. Chapter 19 (Kat)

Scarlett smiled at Eleanor's offer to put Cat to bed. How was it that she knew just what Scarlett wanted?  
  
"That would be lovely, Miss Eleanor." Scarlett said, glancing over at Rhett who was sitting, smoking a cigar, in an armchair. When Cat and Eleanor had left, Scarlett boldly walked over to Rhett and curled up in his lap.  
  
"You're lap looked very inviting." She said with a wicked smile as he looked down at her in surprise.  
  
"Aah, I'm finding out how very unladylike my wife is." Rhett said.  
  
"Your wife." Scarlett whispered. "I'll never get tired of you calling me your wife. And as to me being unladylike, well you said once that ladies never held much charm for you."  
  
"Did I? When did I say that?"  
  
"The day we first met, at Twelve Oaks. We were in the library, I believe I had broken something." Scarlett smiled.  
  
"Right, right. That was the day I fell in love with you, did I ever tell you that?"  
  
"Was it really?" Scarlett asked with interest.  
  
"Yes the first time I ever saw you, on the stairs."  
  
"But you couldn't have loved me, you'd never even met me!"  
  
"Well at first it was more…. love of the body, you could say." Scarlett blushed slightly at Rhett's candid words. "But the first time that I ever really knew that I had fallen hopelessly in love with you was when I first touched your hand. It was like…. coming home, only to no home I'd ever known. That was when I knew that I would always love you; try as I might not to." Scarlett's eyes misted over and she sweetly kissed Rhett.  
  
"Do you want to know when I first knew that I loved you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"I'd be delighted to know, Mrs. Butler."  
  
"You know that dream that I used to have, the one with the fog?"  
  
"How could I forget?"  
  
"Well on the night that- that Melly died it was quite foggy outside. I was looking for you; I needed you to comfort me. I figured that you had gone home so I was running. And it was just like in the dream. I was running in the fog- to you. It was always you in my dream. You were the unknown haven, you were my protector. I started thinking about how you had always been there for me. That was when I knew that I loved you, Rhett. And, well- you know how the rest of that night went."  
  
"So you finally figured it out." Rhett said thoughtfully. "You finally found out that it was me in your dream."  
  
"You say that like you knew all along!" exclaimed Scarlett.  
  
"Well I did." Rhett said offhandedly. "I always knew that you were running to me in your dream, but when the morning came you ran farther and farther away."  
  
"I'm glad that's all over, Rhett. I'm so tired of running." Scarlett said softly.  
  
"So am I, my pet." Rhett murmured. He leaned down and kissed her lovingly. When they broke the kiss Scarlett returned to her former position, leaning her head against his shoulder. "So the wedding was to your liking?" he asked.  
  
"Oh Rhett it was perfect. I couldn't have dreamed of a better wedding."  
  
"You didn't mind that you didn't get the big church wedding?" inquired Rhett.  
  
"I wouldn't have had it any other way." Scarlett smiled.  
  
"Then neither would I. It couldn't have been a bad wedding, I married the most beautiful woman in all of Ireland."  
  
"Hardly!" Scarlett scoffed.  
  
"I mean it, Scarlett, you looked breathtaking today."  
  
"Thank you, Rhett." Murmured Scarlett, her words slightly slurring together.  
  
"Are you alright, darling?" Rhett asked as he peered at her.  
  
"Mmm? Oh I'm just tired. I'm very, very tired. I feel like I haven't had a good night's sleep in ages. I couldn't sleep at all last night, I had quite a bit to think about, you know. And, well, I haven't really been able to sleep good for a couple years now."  
  
"I'm sorry, my love." Rhett said gently. "Do you still have the dream?"  
  
"Yes. Well, I used to at least. I have a feeling I won't anymore, though. It got even worse when I found out that I was running to you. Then I would wake up and I would start to think about how you didn't want me, how you had just discarded me. But never mind that, Rhett, that's all over now. Right now I think I just need to sleep. I really do need to take care of myself, after Cat's birth and all. Not sleeping isn't going to do any good for me."  
  
"About that." Rhett said. "What happened when Cat was born, Scarlett?"  
  
"I wasn't really supposed to have children after- after the miscarriage, remember Dr. Meade said that? I don't want to go into it all right now, Rhett, maybe I'll tell you the whole thing sometime. All you need to know is that I'm fine now, and so is Cat. I just have a scar here." Scarlett traced with her finger along her abdomen.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't here." Rhett said as he took Scarlett's hand in his, weaving their fingers together.  
  
"It's okay, Rhett." Scarlett reassured him with a light kiss. "Oh, I just thought of something!" she exclaimed. "When are we going home?"  
  
"I made arrangements when I came to leave in two weeks."  
  
"Oh, you'll have to change them to include me and Cat you know."  
  
"Actually they already do." Rhett said after a short pause.  
  
"What? But you said that you made them when you first got here. How did you know that-"  
  
"I've always been a bit of an optimist, my love."  
  
"Rhett, you never cease to amaze me." Scarlett said with a shake of her head. "You're so sure of yourself. And just what would you have done if I hadn't taken you back?"  
  
"I never would have left. I would just have kept asking you to be my wife every single day until you finally got so sick of me that you gave in. And then if you didn't give in I would force you at gunpoint to marry me." Rhett said with a smile. Scarlett threw her head back and laughed harder then she had in years.  
  
"Somehow I don't think Colum would've agreed to marry us if you had a gun pointed at me!" She said.  
  
"Well then it's a good thing you said yes the first time, isn't it?"  
  
"Mmm, yes I guess it is." Scarlett stifled another yawn and closed her eyes, her body sagging against Rhett's chest.  
  
"Darling you should go to sleep." Rhett said with concern.  
  
"I suppose I should." Scarlett said as she stood up, rubbing her eyes languidly. Rhett also stood up and put his arm around Scarlett's shoulders, leading her down the hallway to her bedroom. Once inside the bedroom, Scarlett stripped down to her chemise and crawled into bed. Rhett followed suit and soon Scarlett found herself lying in his arms.  
  
"Rhett I'm sorry I'm so tired…." She started.  
  
"Hush, darling." Rhett murmured. "I've waited four years for you, God knows I can go a few hours."  
  
"I love you" Scarlett whispered. She was too deep in sleep already to hear Rhett reciprocate, but he still did anyway. 


	21. Chapter 20 (Sw)

Scarlett smiled at Colum she knew it would be awhile before she saw him  
  
again.T omorrow Rhett, she, and Cat and Miss Eleanor all left to head  
  
home to the south. While Scarlett couldn't wait to see her older children  
  
again she would greatly miss her O'Hara kin here.  
  
  
  
She was leaving Ballyhara in Mrs. Fitz's hands. Scarlett knew she could  
  
count on Mrs. Fitz to look over her beloved house and town in her  
  
absent. Scarlett hated to leave this land it had become a part of her  
  
almost as much as the Tara she grown up on was.  
  
  
  
Being Mrs. Butler once more was worth it. Just being able to talk to  
  
Rhett, take his hand in hers it was a dream come true. Nothing seemed  
  
important compared to the knowledge that Rhett loved her. Yes it still  
  
hurt to think he had while loving her divorced her and married  
  
another. How could she bring that against Rhett when he hadn't brought up  
  
Ashley's name once since they had remarried.  
  
"So this is what a happy Katie Scarlett looks like." Colum teased his  
  
cousin. He would miss her but it was for the best, both for Scarlett and  
  
the Brotherhood .A time was coming Colum knew when the red coats would  
  
come. Scarlett and Cat didn't need to be here for that.  
  
Scarlett just smiled and nodded her head. How she was going to miss these  
  
talks they shared. Colum was the only other person then Rhett, Scarlett  
  
could be herself around and know he wouldn't think ill of her. But  
  
Atlanta and her father's Tara were calling to her. "I shall miss you  
  
dreadfully Colum, you're the brother I never had growing up. You must  
  
promise me you'll come for a visit."  
  
"How could I decline such a offer from my lovely cousin." Colum  
  
replied. "It seems like only yesterday, aroon, you came here for a visit."  
  
"Yes, and I liked it so well I stayed what four or five years?" Scarlett  
  
asked jesting "I will miss it here Colum don't doubt that. But this isn't  
  
my home as much as I love it. I feel the south calling me and I'm afraid  
  
I can't ignore it any longer."  
  
Scarlett looked at Colum hoping she hadn't upset him. But the truth was  
  
still the truth no matter how much she wanted it not to be. The south was  
  
a part of who she was, and it was time Scarlett stopped hiding and went  
  
home.  
  
"I understand Scarlett, no need for you to worry about my feelings.  
  
don't know how you've stood it being away from your homeland so long.If  
  
it wasn't for Cat I'm sure aroon, you would have went home along time  
  
ago." Colum stated he didn't want Scarlett to think he felt betrayed by  
  
her leaving.  
  
  
  
"Beside if I recall correctly you were just waiting here until your  
  
husband came for you.I must admit Mr.Butler went a around about way of  
  
doing it, by he did come for you, Scarlett so now it's time for you to  
  
go home."Colum said this last with tears in his eyes.He wouldn't be able  
  
to see them off tomorrow.So today he was doing his goodbyes.  
  
  
  
"Rhett and I, never did do things the easy way" this Scarlett said in  
  
laughter. "It's time for me to bid you farewell Colum until we meet  
  
again.I still can you believe it have packing to do?" Scarlett said with  
  
tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks.  
  
  
  
Both stood up and embraced."Tis a honor to have known the O'Hara but  
  
more of one to have met Scarlett Butler.May all you days forth bring you  
  
nothing but happiness Katie Scarlett." with those words Colum pulled  
  
away.He still had to do this with Cat and he knew it wasn't going to be  
  
easy.  
  
  
  
"The honor was all mine Colum, I couldn't have wished for a better  
  
brother.Don't forget you promised to come visit I'll be waiting for  
  
you." Scarlett said eyeing Colum "Go ahead Cat's waiting for you.I  
  
believe she has the whole day planned for just the two of you."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Colum knew saying goodbye to his namesake was going to be harder then it  
  
had been with Scarlett.  
  
  
  
Cat was the child he was never going to have.He was one of the first  
  
people to hold her after she had been born.He had known Cat her whole  
  
life. longer then the girl's father had.But Katie Colum like Scarlett  
  
belonged with Rhett Butler back in American.  
  
  
  
"Colum" he heard the child voice yell as she came running towards him.  
  
  
  
"Cat, your Mother told me you had a day planned for us.So where do you  
  
want to start first ?" Colum asked as he picked Cat up and held her in  
  
his arms.  
  
  
  
"I thought we could spend some time with Ree, I'm leaving him  
  
behind but Daddy promised that if I wanted later he could come live  
  
where we're going." Cat explained as she wiggled her way out of Colum's  
  
arms. He was acting weird, Cat thought, Colum had never hugged her that  
  
long before.  
  
  
  
"That sounds wonderful to me, let's go see that pony of your's."  
  
  
  
Hand in hand they walked to the stables.Cat finally understood why Colum  
  
was different today.Just as she was going to American and leaving  
  
Mrs.Fitz, it was the same with Colum he wasn't coming on the ship with  
  
them like her Grandmother Butler.  
  
  
  
If he wasn't coming that meant she wasn't going to see him again for a  
  
long time.But how could that be? Colum had always been there to play  
  
with.What was she supposed to do without him?  
  
  
  
Colum couldn't believe his ears as they stopped at Ree's stall Cat was  
  
doing something he had never witness the little girl do since she was a  
  
infant she was crying.  
  
  
  
"Katie Colum what's wrong?" he asked as he bent down on his knees so he  
  
was eye level with Cat.  
  
  
  
"I'm leaving you.I don't want to, can't you come too?" Cat asked looking  
  
at Colum with hopeful eyes.  
  
  
  
"I can't go Cat."Colum said then stood up he couldn't stand to see her  
  
start crying again and know it was because of him.  
  
  
  
"Why can't you come?" Cat asked instead of letting more of her tears  
  
fall.  
  
  
  
"Cat this is where I belong, you on the other hand little Miss Butler"  
  
Colum paused at Cat's new last name the one that always had rightfully  
  
been her's. "Belong in American with your Mother and  
  
Father."  
  
  
  
Cat wiped her eyes thinking over Colum's words.She smiled suddenly and  
  
asked cheerfully "Since your staying too, promise me you're watch Ree  
  
for me?"  
  
  
  
Colum smiled and wished he had the same power to bounce back like all  
  
children had."Of course I will.Now I believe Ree is waiting for us"  
  
  
  
"I'm going to miss you Colum" Cat said before turning to look at her  
  
pony.  
  
  
  
"I'll miss you too my goddaughter" Colum whisper as Cat's attention was  
  
lost on Ree. 


	22. Chapter 21 (Kat)

Scarlett held fast to Rhett's hand as the train made it's way to Jonesboro. Cat was sleeping peacefully on the opposing seat. They had come straight from Charleston to the Atlanta depot and then onto the train. Scarlett thought thankfully that they hadn't seen anybody they knew. The one night they had spent at Eleanor's house had been a little tense between Rosemary and Scarlett, but Rhett mediated and nothing had happened between the two. Of course Rosemary adored her niece, it was impossible not to. Eleanor had declined the invitations to Tara and opted to remain in Charleston. Scarlett had dashed off a telegram to Will requesting that he meet her at the train station, but she hadn't mentioned her husband or her daughter.  
  
"Oh Rhett I'm so nervous." Scarlett whispered. "What will Wade and Ella and everybody think? Maybe I should have written Will before and explained things to him. It'll be quite a shock for them. And I feel horrible for leaving the kids with Suellen and Will for four years. They must hate me, Rhett."  
  
"Nonsense, my love, despite all your former best efforts your children do not hate you."  
  
"I hope so. What if they don't want to come live with us in Atlanta, though? I came back once when Cat was a baby, you know, when I saw you on the ship. I came to Tara and I was all ready to bring the kids home with me but they didn't want to."  
  
"So that was why you were on the ship. I always wondered about that."  
  
"Yes, I came to cut all my ties from the South. I sold the businesses and I was going to sell the house. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to do it. It had a hold over me; I couldn't get rid of it. So I told Uncle Henry that he could tell your lawyers I had left it for you. Of course I wouldn't have if I had known that- that you would live there with Anne." Scarlett stopped as the pain of Anne living in her home, in her bedroom even, returned.  
  
"I'm sorry about that Scarlett. It was a huge mistake. It wasn't fair to you or to Anne either. Not all of what I told you was true though. Anne didn't have your bedroom, nobody did. I didn't allow anyone to go in there, it's like you never left. I thought it would be easier for you to think that Anne had your room then to know the truth. Because surely then you would have known that I still loved you, and I knew that would hurt you. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you, Scarlett, but I didn't do a very good job at it."  
  
"So she wasn't in my room?" Scarlett asked. "It was still stupid of you to live there, Rhett. But I forgive you, I could never stay mad at you. Oh, we're almost there! I can't wait to show Tara to you. I always wanted you to see it. It means so much to me, it's such a big part of who I am."  
  
"Well if it's like you then I can guarantee you that I'll love it." Rhett smiled. Scarlett kissed him quickly before the train pulled to a stop. Rhett picked up Cat and walked outside with Scarlett on his arm. Will was lounging against his wagon out at the depot. He smiled and waved as Scarlett did the same, but then his look turned perplexed as he took in the sight of Rhett and Cat. Scarlett led the way over to Will and they embraced. Rhett stood a little apart, waiting for Scarlett to introduce him.  
  
"Will, I'd like you to meet my husband, Captain Rhett Butler. And this-" She said as she pushed a stray hair off of Cat's face. "This is our daughter, Cat." Will was obviously shocked and mystified at his sister-in- law suddenly showing up with a small family.  
  
"So you're Captain Butler." He said, remembering himself. Rhett and Will shook hands. "Wade is constantly talking about you, Captain."  
  
"Please, call me Rhett."  
  
"Scarlett I must say I'm surprised. I mean- the last I heard you were… Please excuse me, it's none of my business."  
  
"No Will, it is. You're one of my dearest friends and Rhett and I have nothing to hide. We were divorced, for four horrid years. But we remarried about a month ago in Ireland." Scarlett smiled at the memory of their wedding.  
  
"Well I guess congratulations are in order then!" Will said as he digested the information. He kissed Scarlett's cheek and shook hands once again with Rhett. "We should be gettin along home. I left Wade in charge of the plowin' and I should get back."  
  
"Wade in charge of plowing? He's probably grown up so much I won't even recognize him. I still can't believe he's sixteen." Scarlett said as she thought about how she had grown up along with her firstborn. "Let's go then, I can't wait to see my home again. It's been far too long since I've been to Tara." Once everyone was situated in the wagon Scarlett asked about Wade and Ella.  
  
"They've been doin' very good. Wade is a great help to me and Ella's a great girl."  
  
"Will you don't think they'll object to moving back to Atlanta, do you? I really want us to be a family again. But they didn't want to come to Ireland with me."  
  
"I'm not sure, Scarlett." Will said uneasily. "You'll have to take that up with them. I know they love Tara. But you are their mother, after all."  
  
"Yes, but I was never much of one." Scarlett said softly. Cat began to stir in Rhett's arms and Scarlett turned her attention to her daughter.  
  
"Where are we?" Cat asked, looking around her.  
  
"We're going to Mommy's Tara, darling. You know the one I always tell you about. And remember you're going to meet Wade and Ella and your Uncle Will and Aunt Suellen? And your cousins?" Scarlett said, taking Cat onto her lap. "This is your uncle Will." She told her. Cat smiled at Will and began bombarding Scarlett with questions about Tara and her siblings. Before Scarlett knew it they were almost to Tara, it was just over the hill. She thought back to how she had come over this same hill so long ago, not knowing if she would find her childhood home burned to the ground. Scarlett automatically reached for Rhett's hand, wanting to be near him. She gave him a weak smile, visibly nervous at her imminent meeting with her children. Rhett put an arm around her waist and drew her and Cat to him. He lightly kissed the top of Scarlett's head, wordlessly reassuring her. Suddenly, Tara came into view.  
  
"Tara" Scarlett whispered, a smile on her face. All her worries seemed to melt away as she looked over her beloved Tara. "Oh, Will, it looks better then it has in years!"  
  
"Well Wade's been helping me ter fix it up. Like I said, he's been a great help."  
  
"It looks almost as good as – as before the war." Soon they had pulled up to the big white house. Will and Rhett hopped down and Rhett handed Scarlett and Cat down. Wade walked up from the fields, covered in dirt. He had heard Will approaching and came to see his mother.  
  
"Uncle Rhett?" his voice came from behind Scarlett. "What are you doing here?" Scarlett turned and walked over to her son. He bent down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She couldn't get over the fact that her son was now towering over her. "What's Uncle Rhett doing here, Mother?" he asked her quietly.  
  
"Rhett and I got married last month, Wade." Scarlett said gently. She turned and pointed at Cat who was now standing next to Rhett. "That our daughter, your sister, Katie. Everyone calls her Cat, though."  
  
"Your daughter?" Wade asked incredulously. "You and Rhett have a daughter? Since when?"  
  
"She's 3 and a half. She was born when I first went to Ireland, before I came here that one time."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me and Ella?" He sounded almost angry now.  
  
"It's a long story, Wade. I don't want to go into it right now." Scarlett said. Rhett saw Wade and he was approaching the two of them.  
  
"Wade, good to see you." He said, extending his hand to his stepson. Wade just looked at it, not taking it.  
  
"I can't believe this." He said with a shake of his head.  
  
"Wade – " Scarlett whispered, upset at how her son was acting.  
  
"What do you expect me to do? Do you want me to be happy for you?" Wade said a little too loudly.  
  
"Yes, I do. I don't know why you're upset about this, Wade. Rhett's been like a father to you."  
  
"He's not my father!" Wade shouted. He looked steadily at Rhett. "And I can not forgive you for what you did to my mother. But if you want me to be happy for you, then good luck. You'll both need it." And with that he walked back to the fields. Scarlett sighed and looked up at Rhett.  
  
"Well that didn't go so good." She said dejectedly.  
  
"It's alright, darling. He'll come around."  
  
"I'm not so sure. He's pretty mad at you, Rhett."  
  
"It is a lot for someone to take in. Oh, don't be upset, my dear. I think it's sweet."  
  
"Sweet?"  
  
"Yes he hates me for leaving you. See, you don't have to worry about him hating you." Scarlett sighed and thumped Rhett on the arm.  
  
"You, Mr. Butler, are the most aggravating man on the face of the earth."  
  
"Aah, but you love me despite my faults! What an angel my wife is." Rhett jested.  
  
"Oh, do shut up!" Scarlett smiled. "Come on, one down one to go. We should go find Ella." 


	23. Chapter 22 (Sw)

Ella Kennedy had on her new dress the one she had been saving for a special occasion. She wanted to look her best when she saw her mother. Her reddish hair was pulled back in a braid. Although she had wanted it down long her Aunt Suellen wouldn't hear of it.  
  
Ella could still remember, even if it had been over three years since she last seen her mother, how beautiful Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy  
  
Butler was. If only she had looked like her mother things would be so much better. But the child knew she looked like her late father. And that was one of the reasons her Aunt Suellen was mean to her some days.  
  
Now that was going to change, or at least that's what Ella wished. She hoped her mother's return meant that perhaps she could leave with her now. The twelve year old wanted nothing more then to live with her mother.  
  
Hearing the front door open and voices in the hall Ella ran to the hall expecting to see her mother standing there with Wade. So when she saw her Uncle Rhett her mouth dropped up.  
  
"Hello Ella" Rhett said, smiling at his stepdaughter. He could see she was shocked at seeing him here.  
  
"Uncle Rhett" Ella yelled. The next second she was in his arms, hugging him. Oh how she had missed him! Ella couldn't remember a time when she didn't know Uncle Rhett. When Bonnie had been alive he used to take them all over Atlanta buying them toys and candy. Then when she died he went away. Later Wade had told her that Rhett had divorced their mother and they would never see him again.  
  
Ella couldn't believe that, her Uncle Rhett was like a father to her. She knew one day he would come back. Ella just hadn't thought that day would be today.  
  
Scarlett waited while Ella hugged Rhett, happy to see at least one of her older children not angry at Rhett. Cat's emerald eyes went wide as she watched Ella. She knew this older girl was her sister. Cat wasn't sure if she liked her or not yet. Ella did seem friendly, allot nicer then Wade had.  
  
Pulling back Ella had tears in her eyes as she whisper "I knew I would see you again Uncle Rhett. Wade said we never would but I knew he was wrong."  
  
There were almost tears in Rhett's eyes as well. Ella had been like a daughter to him, but after he married Anne he couldn't bring himself to look either of Scarlett's children in the eyes. He had wanted to see both many times over the last few years and wondered quite often how they were.  
  
Ella turned to look at her Mother and wasn't surprised to see her smiling. This was the moment Ella had dreamed about for years, she just knew that her mother was finally going to be a real mother to her.  
  
"Mother" Ella said standing a few inches from Scarlett.  
  
Opening her arms Scarlett asked playfully. "Don't I get a hug too or are all your hugs reserved for your stepfather?"  
  
Not a second later Ella was in her Mother's arms with tears running down her faces. Ella knew it now they were coming to take her home with them where she belonged. Everything was right again Uncle Rhett was her stepfather again, and he would make sure her Mother took her with them.  
  
"You've come to take me home with you haven't you?" Ella asked as she felt Scarlett's hand rub her back gently.  
  
Scarlett looked at Rhett and smiled. Ella, her older daughter, wasn't anger at her or Rhett. Instead she wanted to come live with them. Oh how wonderful!  
  
"Yes, Ella, if you want? We've come to take you back with us to Atlanta." Scarlett stated trying not to cry herself.  
  
Cat just stood behind Scarlett and watched mother and daughter reunited. 'Yes' Cat thought she liked Ella way better then Wade.  
  
"Of course I want to come! Is Wade coming too?" Ella asked as she pulled away from Scarlett. Ella knew her big brother might not exactly feel the same as she did on this subject but she felt a family should stay together. She had always regretted not going with her mother when she had come back that time. That was before her Aunt Suellen had started showing her true colors. So many nights Ella had laid in bed and prayed her mother would return and take her back to Atlanta and their life there.  
  
"I haven't gotten a chance to ask him yet, Ella, but I will" Scarlett replied as she turned around.  
  
"Ella there is someone I would like you to meet." Scarlett said as she took Cat and lifted her up. "This is your little sister Katie Colum but we call her Cat for short."  
  
"She looks just like Uncle Rhett!" Ella said before she could stop herself, which was rewarded with Rhett's laughter.  
  
"Can I hold her?" Ella asked holding her arms out for her baby sister. Cat looked Ella up and down deciding if she wanted to be held by this girl before her.  
  
"Kitty Cat" Scarlett said looking at her youngest child. Their eyes locked and Cat nodded her head. The unspoken question was asked and answered.  
  
Cat went to Ella and noticed that the older girl smiled at her  
  
brightly."How old are you?" Ella asked.  
  
"Three almost four." Cat stated. Ella couldn't help but smile again at her sister's ascent it was so cute to hear a little girl with a Irish accent. "Did you live in Ireland your whole life?" Ella asked a little jealous of the fact Cat had seen Ireland when she hadn't.  
  
"I was born there at Ballyhara." Cat said as if that explained everything. She then started to wiggle her way free of Ella's arms. Cat wasn't one for being held.  
  
"Ballyhara?" Ella asked to her Mother as Cat ran over to her Father.  
  
"Ballyhara is a town in Ireland that I own. I was going to take you there with me last time I visited but you didn't want to come remember?" Scarlett asked hoping Ella didn't think she had forgotten all about her.  
  
"Yes, I remember. But if you told me about Cat I would have come" Ella said then asked. "Why didn't you tell Wade or me about Cat?"  
  
Scarlett looked to Rhett and saw he had a frown on his face. She wasn't going to get any help from him on this. Not that she expected any, after all this was her mess she had to clean it up.  
  
"It's a long story. One which I believe I should wait to begin until I can tell you and your brother at the same time." Scarlett said. It warmed her heart to think Ella had already taken a liking to Cat. Her biggest fear had been Ella and Wade wouldn't like Cat and blame her for stealing their mother.  
  
Remembering her Aunt Suellen would be coming soon to welcome her mother Ella thought perhaps it would be best if Cat weren't here when the two met again.  
  
"Cat would you like to see my kitten Blue? I just got him and I'm sure he would like you." Ella asked as she walked up to the little girl and held her hand out.  
  
Cat looked to her mommy then daddy and saw each of them give her a okay. Ella seemed nice and a kitten would be fun to play with. So the three year old took her twelve-year-old sister's hand and both departed up the stairs to Ella's room.  
  
"Smart girl you have there, Scarlett" Rhett said as Scarlett stood next to him. "I believe she thinks Suellen and you are going to get into a fight and she didn't want Cat to see it."  
  
Scarlett laughed but knew Rhett was probably right. Suellen more then likely had a bone to pick with her. Scarlett felt proud of Ella for thinking of her little sister's feelings. Cat wouldn't understand that her Aunt Suellen and Mommy just didn't get along.  
  
"Rhett I don't plan on starting anything with Suellen today." Scarlett knew that wouldn't stop Suellen from fighting her thought.  
  
"Scarlett" Suellen's voice called from the kitchen. Looking at each other Rhett and Scarlett knew this was just the first of many people who would be shocked by their marriage. 


	24. Chapter 23 (Kat)

Scarlett looked up at Rhett.  
  
"I guess I have to face my demons," she whispered.  
  
"Demons? Not demons, surely."  
  
"You don't know my sister, Rhett." Scarlett sighed. "But I guess I have to be cordial to her, she did look after Wade and Ella. Though something makes me think she wouldn't have unless Will had made her." Rhett took Scarlett's hand and they walked to the kitchen. Suellen was doing something at the butcher's block, her back to the door.  
  
"Hello, Sullen, how've you been?" Scarlett asked, lounging against the doorframe.  
  
"As good as could be expected saddled with someone else's kids." Suellen said bitterly. She turned and, taking in the sight of Rhett, blushed crimson. "I didn't know we had a visitor." She said, ducking her head.  
  
"Visitor? Oh, right you haven't met Rhett before. Suellen this is my husband, Captain Rhett Butler. Rhett this is my sister, Suellen Benteen." Scarlett said with a smile, still reveling in being able to introduce Rhett as her husband and knowing that he was a husband other women envied.  
  
"Mrs. Benteen, pleasure to finally meet you." Rhett said with a bow. Suellen stared at him with an open mouth.  
  
"Your husband?" She asked, her voice sounding oddly foreign. "But I thought that-"  
  
"Rhett and I got remarried last month." Scarlett said for the third, but surely not the last time. "We just got back from Ireland yesterday. We're just here to get the kids and move back to Atlanta. Our daughter is upstairs with Ella."  
  
"Daughter?"  
  
"Yes, she's three. Her name's Katie Colum but she goes by Cat." Scarlett said, trying not to laugh at the shock on Suellen's face.  
  
"Mrs. Benteen, could you excuse me and your sister for just a moment?" Rhett said as he guided Scarlett out to the hallway.  
  
"I feel like I'm intruding on this beautiful reunion between two beloved sisters." He said with a smile.  
  
"Do you think she's surprised?" Scarlett said, choking back her laughter.  
  
"I think I'll stop imposing here. I'm going to go talk to Wade, try to explain things to him."  
  
"Oh, Rhett, do you think that's a good idea? He's pretty mad at you."  
  
"Which is precisely why I have to talk to him. I hate to see him this mad at me, I've always thought of Wade as my son."  
  
"Alright, but I hope both of you come back alive. I should go talk to Suellen, though God knows I don't want to." Scarlett stood on the tips of her toes and gave Rhett a quick kiss before she went back into the kitchen.  
  
"Where's your husband?" Suellen asked.  
  
"He went to speak with Wade."  
  
"Oh. Why did you get married again?"  
  
"Wow, you don't waste any time do you? Why'd I get married, huh? Because I'm in love, why else?"  
  
"Love, right" Snorted Suellen. "Everybody knows you never loved any of your husbands. And we all know that your own husband left you. But it seems you got him back using this daughter of yours."  
  
"If you ever say anything about my daughter again I'll slap you just as I did when you were a little girl." Scarlett said, her eyes flashing with anger. "And not that it's any of your business, but I love Rhett much more then you could ever love anybody in your whole life. I didn't come here to fight with you, Suellen, I just want to get my children and go home." With that Scarlett turned and left in search of her daughters.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Rhett, standing at the side of the cotton field, caught Wade's eye and waved him over. Wade, somewhat reluctantly, dropped what he was doing and walked over.  
  
"Wade I think it's time we talked, man to man." Rhett said. Wade just glared at him. "Am I to believe that you don't approve of your mother and I remarrying?"  
  
"You can believe what you want to." Wade said stubbornly.  
  
"Now come on Wade, I'm trying to talk to you here. I mean- I know that your mother hasn't always been the most…. attentive. But don't you want her to be happy?"  
  
"Don't you dare say unkind things about Mother! She's always done the best she could, which is more then I could say for you."  
  
"So you just don't approve of me? What did I do to make you hate me, Wade?"  
  
"What did you do?! You abandoned my mother, that's what you did!" Wade said incredulously. "You should have seen her after you left. It was like she was dead inside. You've treated her like dirt and I was glad that you were out of her life. All you ever do is say mean things to her and make her feel horrible."  
  
"Now that's not fair. I love your mother very much, I always have. She and I have put our past behind us, and we hope you and Ella can do the same. We've had our ups and downs, but that's between your mother and me. She's happy, Wade, I wish you could only see how happy she is. There's nothing I want to do more then keep her happy for the rest of her life. We're moving back to Atlanta. Ella has already decided to come with us. The question is, will you?"  
  
Wade was obviously battling his emotions. He looked up at Rhett after a minute.  
  
"You do love her, don't you?" he asked.  
  
"You can't imagine how much."  
  
"And she loves you?"  
  
"Yes, she does."  
  
"Then I'll come with you. But if you hurt her, if you ever leave her again-"  
  
"You have my word I won't." Rhett said truthfully  
  
"But… if you love her then why did you divorce her? I don't understand. Are you really that much of a cad that you left her when she was pregnant with your child?"  
  
"I didn't know, Wade. I had no idea that she was with child. She never told me, not until a few months ago. I had- I had already remarried when she found out. Things would have been different if I had known." Rhett shook his head as if to get rid of all the what ifs and maybes. "Come on, let's go tell your mother you're coming to Atlanta with us. She'll be thrilled. There's nothing she wants more then to make things good between her children and her, for us to be a family again."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Scarlett rose from the floor where she had been playing with Ella and Cat and looked cautiously at Rhett and Wade as they entered the room. Wade smiled and kissed his mother's cheek.  
  
"So, when do we leave for Atlanta?" he asked. Scarlett beamed at his words and hugged him.  
  
"I love you, Wade." She whispered.  
  
"I love you, too, Mother." Wade replied. He kissed her cheek once again before he went and crouched down next to his sisters. Scarlett went to Rhett and threw her arms around his neck, leaning against his chest.  
  
"Thank you." She whispered, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Are you happy?" Rhett asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I asked you once if you were happy. You said yes, but I could tell you were lying. Are you happy now, Mrs. Butler?"  
  
"Oh, Rhett. I couldn't be happier. Well, except if only-" she stopped and looked down, not wanting to bring the past and its sadness into this happy moment.  
  
"Bonnie were here?" Rhett finished for her. Scarlett nodded her head. Both were startled when Cat's tiny voice asked "Who's Bonnie?" 


	25. Chapter 24 (Sw)

"Who's Bonnie?" was a question Scarlett never dreamed she would hear Cat ask. Many times over the years she had thought of telling Cat about her older sister but had decided not to. What good would it do to tell the child of her big sister whom she would never meet?  
  
Scarlett looked to Rhett; she could see the deep hurt lying in his eyes. Neither wanted to tell Cat, who Bonnie had been because in their hearts she would always be alive. If they told Cat then it became real that Bonnie was dead and, though they missed her dreadfully, they had moved on with their lives. Cat herself was proof of that, that they hadn't let Bonnie's death stop them from living on.  
  
Wade walked over to his little sister and looked into her eyes that were so like their mother's and answered her question knowing his mother and stepfather couldn't or didn't know how to.  
  
"Bonnie was our sister. She lives in heaven now."  
  
Cat looked from Wade to her mommy. If that were true why hadn't she told her about Bonnie before now?  
  
"Why does she live in heaven?" Cat asked, not looking at Wade but to her daddy instead.  
  
Ella jumped in at this. She could still remember the day Bonnie had  
  
Fallen, how her Uncle Rhett had went half mad and the pain that even she at the time that was nothing more then a child saw in his face.  
  
"Because Bonnie had a accident, and God decided it was time for her to go be with him." Ella said this as she bent down next to Cat.  
  
Cat looked at Ella then back to her parents she didn't understand why they hadn't answered her questions. Her mommy and daddy usually always answered all her questions.  
  
"What was Bonnie like?" Cat asked this to Ella seeing as her parents weren't answering her questions  
  
"She was allot like you " we're the words Rhett surprised everyone by  
  
saying "Bonnie never sat still for a second. And just like with you ,Cat, your mother and I loved her dearly"  
  
Cat nodded her head, Bonnie was different then Ella, and Wade. She had been her full sister. Cat only understood that because of her mommy explaining how Wade and Ella were her brother and sister but weren't her daddy's children. At first Cat hadn't understood but then her mommy had told her about Wade's father and then Ella's and how they hadn't been the same as hers. But Bonnie had been and she wasn't here any longer. That made Cat very sad.  
  
"Mommy" Cat cried as she ran to Scarlett's legs holding her arms up tears running down both their faces.  
  
Scarlett lift her youngest up and held her close, never wanting to let her go. Scarlett turned her head to look at Rhett and saw the tears he wouldn't allow to fall in his eyes. They hadn't really talked about Bonnie; it was a subject both felt was better left in the past. It hurt too much to think of their blue-eyed, curly headed daughter whose life was cut too short.  
  
Rhett walked over to his wife and daughter and soon had his arms wrapped around the two most important people in his life.  
  
Wade, being ever the older brother, pulled Ella into his arms. Whenever they talked of Bonnie she always cried. Bonnie's death had been harder on her then him, not that Wade hadn't loved Bonnie he had. It was just that Ella and Bonnie had been close to the same age and were both girls, sisters, playmates. To Ella, Bonnie would forever be her first friend and always her best.  
  
As Wade held his sister he thought it did look as if Uncle Rhett was going to keep his word and not hurt his Mother again. But with Rhett Butler one could never tell. This was the same man that had promised to send him to college when Wade had been younger, yet left his Mother and seemingly forgot all about Ella and he.  
  
It had hurt Wade deeply to have the one man he thought of as a father not only walk away from his mother but also turn his back on the children who Rhett had played father to for years.  
  
Wade had never told Ella this but he had heard that Rhett had remarried and even was living in the house he had build for their mother. That was the final straw that made Wade hate Rhett. It was one thing to divorce his Mother and remarry. But to live in the house where they all had been a family went too far.  
  
Now, though, it looked as if things had changed again. Rhett Butler had decided once again to love his mother, hopefully this time for the rest of their lives. Wade didn't want to see his mother or sisters hurt by Mr. Butler again.  
  
That's why he was going to Atlanta, that and perhaps if he was wrong and Uncle Rhett meant what he said Wade hoped that Rhett could go back to being the closest thing he ever had to a Father. 


	26. Chapter 25 (Kat)

Scarlett closed the door to her oldest daughter's bedroom and walked down to the living room where Rhett was talking to Wade and Ella. It had taken a while to calm Cat down but she was now sleeping peacefully on Ella's bed. Rhett looked up when Scarlett entered the room. His dark eyes were clouded over and it seemed like he wasn't really there at all. She went and sat down next to him, snuggling up against him. He put an arm around her shoulders and looked down at her.  
  
"Is Cat still upset?" he asked.  
  
"She's taking a nap. You know—she never cries." Scarlett said. She glanced over at her children and saw a look pass between them. "So how have you two been?" she asked them.  
  
"Pretty good" Wade said. Ella remained silent.  
  
"Has Suellen been treating you all right?" Asked Scarlett. Ella looked down and licked her lips. "Darling, you can tell me if she hasn't been." Scarlett said gently.  
  
"Sometimes she's mean to Ella." Wade spoke for his sister. Scarlett got up and walked over to the settee where Ella was sitting. She sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around her daughter.  
  
"I'm sorry, honey." She whispered. "I'll never let her be mean to you again, I promise. Okay?" Ella nodded and Scarlett placed a kiss onto her forehead. "That's my girl. Can you do me a big favor, darling? I need to talk to Rhett for a minute, can you and Wade find something to do?"  
  
"Yeah." Ella said, cheering up at the signs of affection from her mother.  
  
"Thanks, baby." Scarlett said with a thin smile. As soon as Wade and Ella had left the room her mood turned, however. "Damn her." She hissed. "She must still be mad at me about Frank. But to take it out on my daughter! I have half a mind to kill her, except my mother wouldn't be to happy about that, she did always hate to see us fight." With a futile gesture Scarlett pounded her fist into a throw pillow next to her, muttering threats against her sister.  
  
"Scarlett!" she looked up and saw that Rhett was looming over her.  
  
"What?" she asked as she rubbed a hand over her forehead, feeling suddenly dizzy. She vaguely wondered how long Rhett had been standing there.  
  
"Don't get yourself all worked up over it. There's nothing you can do about it now. You have to admit, darling, your sister has every right to be mad at you."  
  
"Why—" Scarlett gaped. "Are you taking her side?"  
  
"No, I would never do that, Scarlett."  
  
"I guess you're right." Scarlett sighed. Her eyes misted over as she looked up at Rhett. "It just has been a rough day, you know?" She brushed away the tears that were now spilling out. Rhett pulled her up of the settee and enveloped her in his arms.  
  
"I know." He murmured.  
  
"Do you ever think it will stop hurting, talking about her I mean?" Scarlett asked softly.  
  
"No, I don't. But in some ways that's a good thing, I think. Perhaps over more time it won't hurt as much, but it will never stop hurting. It's a way of remembering her, of keeping her always in our hearts. But we've both separately let her go; we can't let the loss consume us. I've already done that once, I'm not going back."  
  
"She would be happy for us, don't you think?" Scarlett said, a wistful smile appearing on her lips.  
  
"Yeah, she would be." Rhett said before he kissed the crown of Scarlett's head. After a moment Scarlett looked up and gave him a quick kiss.  
  
"Come on, I'll give you the royal tour of Tara."  
  
"Oh the royal tour, when did I become royalty?"  
  
"Don't get all high and mighty, darling, you're just my jester."  
  
"Your wit doth cut me like a blade, my love!" Rhett smiled, making Scarlett laugh. "Seriously, though, I've always wanted to see your Tara. Maybe it will give me some little clue about what you were like as a child."  
  
"Well, Rhett, you knew me as a child."  
  
"Did I?"  
  
"Yes" Scarlett nodded. "You were married to me when I was a child, I didn't grow up until I went away." She looked down for a moment before taking a deep breath and grabbing Rhett's hand. "So as you can see this is the living room." She said, gesturing to the room they were in. "This is where we had our nightly prayers."  
  
"Were you religious back then?"  
  
"Not especially. I wanted to be, because Mother was and I wanted to be like her in every way." Scarlett led him into the hallway and opened the door to her mother's office. "This was always my favorite room in the whole house." She said, noticing that there was still the slightest scent of lemon verbena hanging in the air.  
  
"Your father's office?" Rhett asked.  
  
"No, my mother's." Scarlett walked over to the desk and ran her hand over the dulled wood. "Suellen and I used to come to her with all of our petty little disagreements when we were kids." She laughed. "Of course she would never say one or the other of us was right, we had to both be equal in her eyes. So I would run to Pa and he would always take my side. I was always a Daddy's Girl, Pa and I got along much more then he did with Suellen and Carreen. I think in some ways I was the son he had never had—well that had never lived at least." Scarlett looked around the office once more before she exited with Rhett by her side.  
  
After she had shown him the rest of the rooms on the lower level and the stable she headed upstairs.  
  
"This was where I shot a Yankee." She said when they were on the stairs, causing Rhett to laugh.  
  
"My wife the little murderess! Did I ever tell you how proud I was of you for that?"  
  
"No, you didn't."  
  
"Well I am." Rhett said, he bent down and gave her a light kiss. Scarlett went up the rest of the stairs and entered her room. "Aah, don't tell me. This was your room." Rhett guessed.  
  
"How very perceptive of you, yes this was my room."  
  
"So this was where you played, where you dreamed of what you would do when you grew up. What did you want to be then, what did you dream of?"  
  
Scarlett bit her lip and looked away from Rhett.  
  
"You won't like it if I tell you what I dreamed about then, Rhett." She said.  
  
"You mean—"  
  
"Ashley? Yes. I wanted nothing more then to be the mistress of Twelve Oaks." Rhett's face darkened slightly and Scarlett went to him, throwing her arms around him. "But that was then, darling, that's not what I dream about now."  
  
"What do you dream about now?" Rhett asked, instinctively caressing her back.  
  
"Growing old with you." Scarlett said as she laid her head down on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. "You're the only man in my dreams now, Rhett." She added silkily. Rhett bent down and kissed her hard and deep, his arms pulling her even closer to him. They stood in this embrace for long moments, each reveling in the feeling, before a knock came on the door.  
  
"Damn." Rhett growled as they broke apart, both gasping for breath.  
  
"Who is it?" Scarlett directed to the closed door.  
  
"It's Wade." A voice came from the other side. The door opened and he came in. Wade blushed as he took in the sight of his mother leaning against Rhett.  
  
"I—I thought you were alone." He said, looking at Rhett with an almost jealous look. "I'm sorry I'll just go." He turned and started out the door.  
  
"No, Wade you don't have to go." Scarlett said, detaching herself from Rhett and smoothing out her hair. "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"Oh—um, Dilcey told me to tell you that it's supper time."  
  
"Thanks, honey, we'll be there in a minute." Wade nodded awkwardly and left.  
  
"Remind me to start locking doors." Rhett said with a laugh.  
  
"I'm sorry, darling." Scarlett cooed, she stood on her tiptoes and bestowed a short kiss on him. "You know how much I enjoy your kisses, Rhett, but we really should be going down to supper. They'll wonder what's keeping us, you know."  
  
"Fine" Rhett sighed with mock resignation. "We can't have them wondering, now can we?" 


	27. Chapter 26 (Sw)

Suellen had remained quiet during dinner, letting Scarlett answer the children's questions about Ireland. Cat seemed like a well-behaved child, which surprised Suellen greatly. She had figured the little girl would be just as spoiled as Scarlett had been.  
  
Suellen almost laughed at out loud when she seen the small child. She looked just like Scarlett's husband. There was no doubt the child was Captain Butler's daughter.  
  
Scarlett disappeared with the girls upstairs for it was far beyond their bedtime. Wade remained with them downstairs and was in deep conversation with Rhett and Will.  
  
Suellen left to see that the plates were cleared away from dinner. When she returned Scarlett was just making her way into the parlor.  
  
The smile Scarlett received from Rhett brought anger out in Suellen. It would take a blind person not to see the pair was in love. Scarlett had stolen looks like that from her, when she tricked Frank into marrying her.  
  
"Captain Butler, if I may ask seeing as this is the first time I've ever seen you. How did you and my sister meet?" Suellen asked.  
  
Rhett was so lost in thought at how beautiful Scarlett looked that it took him a second for Suellen's question to take hold.  
  
"I met Scarlett at Twelve Oaks the day the war was announced." Rhett replied, not liking the look in Suellen's eyes.  
  
Suellen smiled then turned to look at Wade and asked "Why, that's the day Scarlett became engaged to Charles. How ever did you meet her then?"  
  
Wade looked past his aunt to his mother who was sitting next to Rhett. He had never heard this story before. Wade had thought his stepfather had met his mother at the bazaar in Atlanta when he was just a baby.  
  
"It's a funny story actually, Scarlett was in the library and I heard a noise as I was passing by" Rhett looked to Scarlett and was touched at the look of trust burning in her eyes. She knew he wouldn't say anything that would hurt Wade. "You can imagine my surprise to find a Southern  
  
Belle standing over… a broken vase I think it was. Scarlett stormed out of the room right after that."  
  
"You broke something of the Wilkes' Scarlett? And I bet you never told anyone did you?" Suellen asked, questioning Rhett slipped her mind at the thought of making Scarlett uncomfortable.  
  
"I got engaged to Charles right after that and never thought of it again And, Rhett, it was a bowl not a vase" Scarlett stated, smiling at Rhett, not letting Suellen get a rise out of her temper.  
  
"Thank you, Scarlett, for clearing that up. I've always wondered just what it was." Rhett said, taking control of the conversation. "Will, how is the cotton crop coming along this year?"  
  
Will looked at Rhett and so did Wade. Both knew Captain Butler had already asked them that question earlier and both knew why he asked it again. He was trying to be the peacemaker. But, between Suellen and Scarlett, Will didn't think that was possible. When one was nice, or trying to be, the other always seemed ready for a fight.  
  
"It's coming along" Will replied.  
  
Suellen looked at Scarlett and a thought hit her, one that would take the smile right off Scarlett's face.  
  
"Forgive me if I'm wrong but didn't you, Captain Butler, remarry after you divorced Scarlett?" Suellen asked. Wade and Will both sent looks that could kill her way. But Suellen just smiled cruelly at Scarlett.  
  
Rhett balled his hands into fist. How could his sister in law ask such a question? There was no reason to, other then to hurt Scarlett.  
  
"Yes I did." Rhett said taking Scarlett's hand into his. "It was a mistake that cost me four years of my daughters life. One I don't like talking about."  
  
Suellen was about to ask another question on just where Rhett's former wife was now. Before she could, though, Wade spoke up "Mother, Uncle Rhett you both must be tried from you're trip?"  
  
Scarlett smiled at her oldest child. "You're right Wade, I am tired. Rhett will you be joining me upstairs or are you going to stay in the parlor a bit longer?"  
  
"I'm tired as well my pet," Rhett said, faking a yawn "I'll accompany you upstairs."  
  
Scarlett walked quickly over to Wade and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning Wade."  
  
"Good night Mother sleep well" Wade replied as Rhett walked up to the pair.  
  
"Goodnight Wade" Rhett said as he followed Scarlett towards the stairs, never looking back at Suellen. Suellen was exactly as Scarlett always said she was.  
  
As they headed up the stairs Rhett and Scarlett called out together "Goodnight Will" 


	28. Chapter 27 (Kat)

As soon as they were in Scarlett's room she sighed and leaned against the now-closed door.  
  
"Of all the things she could have said to hurt me, that was the worst" Scarlett said quietly. "And she knew it. God, I hate her! Why did she have to bring that up now? Now when I've finally been able to stop myself from obsessing over it and from analyzing every conversation you and I had ever had. I can't believe her! That was the worst time I've ever had in my whole life. It was the only time I've ever wished my life could just…end. I know that I shouldn't let her get to me, Rhett, I do. But when she says that it's like- like it was yesterday that I got that damned letter. Like it was yesterday that I fainted in that carriage in Galway when I found out you had married Anne."  
  
"You fainted?" Rhett asked. "But, you never faint."  
  
"If I ever had a good excuse to faint, Rhett, I think it was finding out that my husband, who I happened to be carrying the child of, had married another woman." Scarlett said a bit more bitterly then she had intended to.  
  
"Are you still mad at me, Scarlett?" Rhett asked. Scarlett wasn't expecting that question and she looked up at him with a strange expression on her face. "I thought you had forgiven me for that." He said quietly.  
  
"It's not that easy, Rhett." Scarlett was quickly growing angry at making this into a confrontation between the two of them. "How can I forgive someone in a split second for doing something that made me feel completely unwanted and useless? You don't seem to get the magnitude of it, Rhett. You divorced me without me even knowing about it! You can say that you tried to find me all you want, but if you had really tried then you would have found me. You married another woman just a few days after the divorce went through! Do you know what that made me feel like? Tell me, Rhett, how can I forgive you so quickly and easily?"  
  
"I forgave you for keeping my daughter from me." Rhett said calmly. Scarlett gaped at him for a moment before she narrowed her eyes into slits and shot daggers into his eyes.  
  
"Damn you, Rhett!" she yelled. "I did what I thought was best for me and for my child. What would you have done? What would anybody have done? I was alone in a strange country, I was pregnant with the child of a man that had dropped me and married someone else. What I did may not have been the greatest choice, but I was just looking out for my daughter. So don't- throw that in my face, Rhett. There is a difference. You made a conscious decision to marry Anne; I was forced, by that decision, to keep Cat from you." Scarlett spun around and opened the door, thinking it best to get away from Rhett before their fight escalated. She walked swiftly out the door but Rhett followed her.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked in a low voice, as to not disturb the other people in the house.  
  
"Away from you!" Scarlett exclaimed hotly. She decided quickly that she would have to spend the night somewhere else, so that they could both cool down. With a determined step, masking how she really felt, she walked into the room that Ella and Cat were sharing and lightly closed the door. She was surprised to see Ella sitting up in her bed talking to Cat, who was in the second bed in the room, as she had thought they were both asleep. "Girls, you're supposed to be sleeping." She said, trying to be firm with them but finding it hard to.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother." Ella said, bowing her head.  
  
"It's alright, though, Ella." Scarlett said quickly. She didn't want Ella to have any reason to fear her once again. She went over to Ella's bed and sat down on the edge. "Is it okay if I sleep in here tonight?" she asked.  
  
"Did- did you and Uncle Rhett fight?"  
  
"No, no nothing like that. I just wanted to be with my girls."  
  
"Oh." Ella said, a smile playing on her lips. "I'm really happy you came home, Mother."  
  
"So am I, honey." Scarlett smiled, though she really felt like crying over her fight with Rhett. She had known it was inevitable that they would fight; they wouldn't be them if they didn't. But she still felt horrible. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Scarlett placed a kiss on the top of Ella's head. "Go to sleep now, ok?" She said quietly, noticing that Cat had fallen asleep. Ella nodded and laid down on the bed. Scarlett moved over to Cat's bed and laid down next to her small daughter. She drifted off to sleep for the first time in over two months outside of Rhett's arms.  
  
~~~  
  
Scarlett squinted as the first rays of sunshine beamed into the room. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Cat and Ella were both still fast asleep. Scarlett got up off the bed, being careful not to wake her baby girl. She slipped out the door and, with a determined step, walked into her own room. Truthfully she didn't feel like facing Rhett now, but she knew that she had to. One of them had to give in first; it might as well be her. Rhett was lying on the bed and Scarlett noticed that he was still in the clothes he had been wearing the night before, as was she. She walked over to the side of the bed he was on and sat down on the edge.  
  
Rhett quickly roused when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw his very disheveled wife sitting on the bed.  
  
"Hi." She said softly. Rhett let out a low grunt and squinted.  
  
"What time is it?" he said, his voice gravelly.  
  
"I don't know, early." Scarlett shrugged. Rhett propped himself up on his arms and looked at her.  
  
"What's going on, Scarlett?" he asked.  
  
"Rhett, I've made a decision."  
  
"Mmm?"  
  
"Uh-huh, I've decided I'm too old to start fighting with you again."  
  
"Old?" Rhett laughed. "If you're old, my pet, I must be at death's door."  
  
"Is everything- I mean… is everything okay with us?" Scarlett asked apprehensively.  
  
"Of course is it, darling. I'm not mad at you and I certainly hope you're not mad at me anymore."  
  
"Oh, Rhett, I'm not mad at you at all. I wish we hadn't fought last night. But I want you to know that what I said was true. When I kept Cat from you I was just doing what I thought was best. I didn't want to hurt you, though I don't know why I didn't. You really hurt me when you married Anne, Rhett. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to go through in my entire life. And that's including being here, at Tara, after the war. And I- I still don't know if I can forgive you for that so easily. I'm not mad, though, Rhett I just…. I don't know" Scarlett trailed off, realizing she was babbling. Somehow she couldn't find the words to express to Rhett how she loved him but she was still upset at how he had acted in the past. But, for all her babbling, Rhett seemed to understand her as he always did. He sat up and pulled her to him so that he was looking down at her and they were only inches apart.  
  
"I'm sorry, Scarlett." He said, pain evident in his voice. "Did I ever tell you that? Did I ever tell you how sorry I am for marrying Anne? It was the biggest mistake of my life; behind leaving you in the first place, that is. I'm so sorry, Scarlett. And if all I ever accomplish in my life is making that up to you, I'll die a happy man."  
  
Scarlett smiled and threw her arms around Rhett's neck.  
  
"So, truce?" she said with a grin.  
  
"Truce" Rhett agreed.  
  
"Rhett I have a favor to ask. And seeing as your life goal is to be nice to me I think I already know what your answer will be." Scarlett laughed.  
  
"A favor, huh? And what would that be, my love?"  
  
"Take me home to Atlanta today."  
  
"Today? You don't want to stay at Tara longer?"  
  
"No, I don't. I'm afraid if I'm here for a day longer I just may kill Suellen. Tara isn't my home any longer; it's Will and Suellen's. I don't belong here anymore. I belong in Atlanta. I know that people there are going to gossip about us a lot and it will be strange to go back, but we have to get it over with sometime. I miss it, oddly enough. I've had my share of bad memories there but I still miss it."  
  
"If that's what you want, darling, I'll take you to Atlanta today. I'll go make arrangements now."  
  
"Thank you, Rhett" Scarlett said, bestowing a sweet kiss on his lips. "I think I just might go back to sleep." She stifled a yawn as Rhett got up and went to change into fresh clothes.  
  
"Didn't you sleep well last night?" Rhett asked.  
  
"No I can never sleep when we're fighting." Scarlett curled up on the bed, her head resting on a pillow. Rhett finished dressing and, after giving her a kiss on the forehead, went to talk to Will about getting to Atlanta. 


	29. Chapter 28 (Sw)

Train rides gave one time to think, or at least they did when ones wife and daughter were asleep in their seats next to you. Rhett, Wade, and Ella, were the only ones awake. Brother and sister we're in deep conversation about how much they bet Atlanta had changed since they lived there. So that left Rhett with nothing to do but think and remember his life before and after he moved to Atlanta.  
  
Rhett was always in control of his feelings, or that's what he had thought until the day he met one Scarlett O'Hara. She came into his life and destroyed his carefree lifestyle. It all became about her, how to get her first to become his mistress then to love him. Neither which he now realized was something he overly tried hard to do.  
  
Yes, he had visit, even courted, Scarlett during the war but never did he once with all his charms try to get the Irish beauty into his bed. Then after they had married the first time, Rhett hadn't been able to risk his heart to try and win Scarlett's. He had been cruel and mean to her so much so that it truly amazed Rhett that Scarlett had fallen in love with him.  
  
After all the pain, though, here they we're ready to start again. This time things were different, both admitted to being madly in love with the other and no one stood in their way of happiness.  
  
Yes, the past was bound to show its ugly head as it had last night now and then. But just like this morning, Rhett knew he and Scarlett wouldn't allow it to rob them of their much deserved future together. One that had taken over a dozen years to accomplished.  
  
Marrying Anne was a mistake; one Rhett hoped he didn't spend the rest of his life paying for. It was bad enough he had to live with the guilt of hurting not only his beloved but Anne as well. But to have people bring it up to Scarlett with only the thought of hurting her- that cut like a knife.  
  
Scarlett didn't deserve that, and Rhett knew it was his fault and no one else's that she was suffering. He had wanted to hurt her and he had. Now they both had to live with his cruel behavior and pray that when Cat was old enough to understand that she would.  
  
Rhett didn't now if he could handle seeing in his daughter's green eyes the same hurt and betrayed look that he seen in Scarlett's after Suellen's words. Only time would tell and besides, Rhett told himself it would be years before Cat would truly understand just what a cad her father had been.  
  
"Uncle Rhett, do I have to share a room with Cat?" Ella asked turning from Wade to her stepfather.  
  
It took Rhett a second to pull himself away from his thoughts so he could answer Ella's question.  
  
"No you don't have to share a room with Cat, you can have your own room Ella."  
  
"Won't Cat be scare, though, in a new house and room?" Ella asked as she saw Wade give her a look she knew well, meaning let-it-go.  
  
"Well she might at first but you can't always share a room with her Ella. I'm sure after a few days Cat will be fine." Rhett said "Beside you're becoming a young woman and I'm sure you don't want to share a room with a small child."  
  
Ella smiled at Uncle Rhett calling her a young woman. She was becoming one but her Aunt Suellen and Uncle Will hadn't noticed and Wade just laughed if she brought the subject up.  
  
"I wouldn't mind sharing a room with Cat for a little while." Ella said wanting to show just how grown up she was.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind. We should be in Atlanta in a few minutes." Rhett said as he turned to see if Scarlett or Cat had woke yet. "So who wants the honor of waking your mother and sister?"  
  
Getting no volunteers, Rhett smiled then leaned in closer to his wife and daughter.  
  
"Scarlett darling" he said as he tapped her on the shoulder. Getting no reply, Rhett tapped Scarlett's shoulder again.  
  
After a minute passed with no answer or green eyes opening Rhett decided to try to wake Cat.  
  
"Kitty Cat, time to wake up" Rhett said as he lifted his daughter from her seat. The child's eyes opened and she smiled sweetly.  
  
"Are we there already?" Cat asked as she wiggled her way out of her father's arms so she could look out the window. "Is that Atlanta?" she asked pointing to the buildings she could see ahead.  
  
"Yes, that's Atlanta." Wade said as he took his little sister into his arms. He knew the train would stop soon and didn't want Cat thrown against the wall of the cabin when it did. Setting down he knew Cat was surprised but his actions towards her.  
  
Wade knew he had come off as cold to the little girl but he was going to change that. Cat was just as much his sister as Ella or Bonnie had been. And with Mother and Uncle Rhett as her parents she was going to need someone to could count on to always be there. Sure their mother had claimed to have changed but Wade found that hard to believe. Soon she would be off with her businesses again and Uncle Rhett with playing cards and other things. Cat would need him, and Ella.  
  
  
  
================================  
  
Scarlett felt someone shaking her. Opening her emerald eyes slowly she took in the site of Rhett smiling down at her. "Wake up sleeping beauty."  
  
"I take it we've reached Atlanta already?" Scarlett asked as she noticed that her children weren't in the cabin with them any longer.  
  
"Yes we've arrived home, about four minutes ago. As soon as the train stopped Wade couldn't hold Cat down. Ella went with them to make sure they didn't get lost." Rhett said sounding very amused by his daughter and stepchildren's actions.  
  
"Why didn't you wake me sooner? I wanted to see Atlanta as we came in." Scarlett asked as she took Rhett's hand and pulled herself up.  
  
"I tried, you can ask the children, but you, my dear wife, wouldn't wake up. I was beginning to worry." Rhett said as he offered his arm to Scarlett  
  
"Shall we Mrs. Butler?"  
  
Taking his arm, Scarlett followed Rhett out of their cabin. Soon they were outside as the sun began to set. Taking a deep breath, Scarlett smiled. She was finally, after all this time, home. Looking about for the children, she couldn't help but smile as she saw them. Cat was in Wade's arms and it looked as if Ella and he we're telling their baby sister stories of there old life here.  
  
"I'm home Rhett" Scarlett said as tears filled her eyes. Scarlett knew there was many difficulties ahead for Rhett and she, but it was all worth it just to be able to have everything she always wanted.  
  
"Do you think anyone has missed me, Mr. Butler?" Scarlett asked as they made their way towards the children.  
  
"You mean other then me, don't you Scarlett? Because there hasn't been a day gone by that I haven't missed you and wished you we're by my side" Rhett said, not wanting to answer that question. Because even though Scarlett loved him, and he her, Rhett didn't want to talk about or hear about Mr. Ashley Wilkes.  
  
"Of course I didn't mean that silly, I know no one has missed me like you have, Rhett. Just as I have missed you." Scarlett said as she kissed his cheek. "What I meant was, do you think Aunt Pittypat might have missed me?"  
  
"Of course, Scarlett. You know after I divorced you she refused, and I'm quoting her here. 'I refuse to allow a man such as you, Mr. Butler, in my house.' I think she was afraid you would stop sending her money if she invited me in" Rhett said laughing.  
  
"Hush Rhett, you shouldn't say such things." Scarlett said trying to sound serious only to break out laughing just as they reached her children.  
  
Wade looked up and was surprised. He couldn't ever remember hearing his mother laughing with such honesty before. Could she have really changed?  
  
==========================  
  
As their carriage stopped, Scarlett let Rhett, then Wade, help Ella and Cat down. She was the last one to get out. Looking up, Scarlett saw the house she had walked away from some three years ago. In the house before her, Scarlett had spent most of the worst days of her life and some of the happiest as well. Bonnie had been born here and spent her short life here. This was where Scarlett had learn she carried Rhett and hers second child only to lose that child when she fell down the staircase here.  
  
It was in this house she had told Rhett she loved him for the first time. And it was here that she cried as he walked out on their marriage.  
  
Scarlett hid her anger with a smile with the thought of Anne living here. Anne had been in her house, lived and loved Rhett here. Lost the child she and Rhett had made in this very house here as well. But as Scarlett took Rhett's hand she let those thoughts drift away, they weren't going to do her or Rhett any good were they?  
  
"Are you ready to enter your house, my pet?" Rhett asked, sensing Scarlett's hurt.  
  
"Yes of course I can wait to see if you indeed left everything the way I had it or not." Scarlett said faking sarcasm. If the house looked as Rhett had stated, just as she left it, then perhaps she could forgive and try to forget that Anne had lived here.  
  
But if it didn't Scarlett knew whatever changes were made would always be a reminder that this house, her house had once belonged to another. And it also would make all Rhett's words about missing her nothing but lies. But if it was as Rhett said and looked as she had left it, well that proved Rhett loved her and always had.  
  
The front door opened and Cat ran in not waiting for her parents or siblings to catch up. The little girl stopped dead in her tracks, turning she looked at her mother and father.  
  
"I don't like it, it's too much red" the little green eye girl said.  
  
Scarlett quickly walked over to her youngest child. Picking her up, Scarlett said loud enough for all to hear. "I agree I don't like it either. What on earth was I thinking making everything this awful red?"  
  
Rhett and Wade barely stopped themselves from laughing but poor Ella couldn't hold it in, though she did try. After a few seconds of her giggles Wade joined in followed closely by Rhett's laughter.  
  
Turning to face them Scarlett, who didn't find what she just said amusing, asked, "What is so funny? It's just as much your fault, Rhett, that this house is so dark and depressing. Why didn't you ever tell me how awful it looked?"  
  
Rhett stopped laughing then looked at Scarlett. He was relieved to see no hurt behind her eyes. She was a little angry but that was due to being laughed at. "You're right Scarlett, I should have stopped you. But at the time I don't think I could have. Let's not forgot how stubborn you can be."  
  
Wade looked to Ella, knowing one of his Uncle Rhett and mother's famous fights we're about to begin.  
  
Scarlett looked around the room and up the staircase. Everything was just as she left it. Smiling, Scarlett decided to allow Rhett his comment on how stubborn she was to go, after all it was true.  
  
"Well first thing tomorrow morning I want to get someone in here. All this red is not staying." Scarlett said as she headed for the stairs with Cat still in her arms.  
  
"Do you want to see Mommy's bedroom baby?" Scarlett asked her daughter.  
  
Cat nodded her head then smiled "And then we can see my room"  
  
Scarlett was about to tell Cat, she didn't have a room of her own yet when Rhett, who has somehow sneaked up on them, said "Yes of course, your room is right across from ours."  
  
Looking at Rhett as he stood beside her Scarlett shared a secret smile with him. Someday she would have to get him to tell her his secret of how he always knew what she was going to do before she did. 


	30. Chapter 29 (Kat)

The morning after they had arrived back in Atlanta, Rhett and Scarlett sat at the dining room table. Wade and Ella had already eaten breakfast and decided to give Cat a tour of Atlanta as they had known it.  
  
"So where are you off to today?" Scarlett asked Rhett.  
  
"I have some business I need to take care of at the bank. And you?"  
  
Scarlett cleared her throat and looked down at her eggs.  
  
"I thought I would go see Ashley." She said carelessly. Rhett looked up from the newspaper he had been reading. "Well I might as well get it out of the way, Rhett, It's not like I can avoid him for the rest of my life. And I did promise Melly after all. Oh don't look at me like that, darling! I don't even want to go, it'll be horribly awkward since he- you know, proposed last time I saw him." Rhett almost spit the coffee in his mouth out at that last sentence.  
  
"He proposed?" He asked, sounding more than a bit amused.  
  
"Oh yes, I forgot you didn't know about that. It was nothing really, he just felt bad that you had left me so he proposed when I was back here that one time when Cat was a baby. I told him no, of course, and I hope he's forgotten about it. To tell the truth I had forgotten about it myself."  
  
"Now I know that you truly love me, my dear, if you forgot about the object of your affections for so many years asking you to marry him." Rhett said with a smile  
  
"You're so silly Rhett! You know I love you" Scarlett laughed. Rhett grinned at her and consulted his pocket watch.  
  
"I should be going, come on I'll walk you over to PittyPat's."  
  
Rhett walked Scarlett down to the Peachtree Street house that had been Home to her once.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" he asked. "I can always go to the bank later."  
  
"No, thanks. I don't think that would be a very good idea. You and Ashley don't exactly- get along. I wouldn't want you two getting in a fight, I don't know how he'll react when I tell him about us."  
  
"Whatever you think best, Scarlett." Rhett leaned down, and after making sure no one was on the street around them, kissed her before they went their separate ways; him down Peachtree and her to the front door. Scarlett's knock was answered by a servant she didn't recognize who ushered her in and went to tell Ashley that he had a visitor by the name of Scarlett O'Hara. Scarlett waited in the familiar parlor where Rhett had first proposed, lo so many years ago. Ashley soon appeared, a smile on his face  
  
"Scarlett, my dear, what a rare pleasure it is to see you!" he exclaimed  
  
"Ashley, good to see you." Scarlett found that she was nervous to tell him about her remarriage.  
  
"Where have you been all this time? What brings you back to Atlanta?"  
  
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Scarlett sat down on one of the chairs and Ashley followed suit, facing her on the settee. "These last four years I've been living in Ireland, close to my O'Hara relatives. It's- beautiful there, I see now why Pa loved it so much."  
  
"Ireland, really? That sounds splendid. I thought you had said you were in England last time you were here?"  
  
"That wasn't quite true, Ashley. See- I had to make sure Rhett didn't find out where I was-"  
  
"Has he been causing you trouble, Scarlett?"  
  
"No, no, nothing like that. It's just that... I didn't want him to find out he had a daughter because he had divorced me and I was afraid he would take her from me." she finished in a rush. Ashley was surprised to say the least.  
  
"You- you have a daughter?"  
  
"Yes, her name is Katie but we all call her Cat. She's four, and she- she's wonderful"  
  
"And he divorced you anyway? Damn him! " Scarlett could tell Ashley was upset now, he never would have sworn in front of her if he wasn't.  
  
"No, Ashley, he didn't know about Cat- not until several months ago. I finally told him and now-"  
  
"You married him again didn't you?" Suddenly it all made sense to Ashley: Scarlett's sudden return, what he had heard that morning that he had dismissed as just another rumor, that Captain Butler had divorced his second wife. He glanced down at Scarlett's hand, and, sure enough, saw a new diamond ring glittering on her finger.  
  
"Yes, I did" Scarlett was taken aback by Ashley's apparent deducements. "We were married two months ago in Ireland."  
  
"Damn him! He was always bad for you, Scarlett, but you never saw it. How did he get you to marry him this time? What does he have on you?"  
  
"Nothing! Please stop, Ashley, you're talking nonsense."  
  
"No- I'm not. He must have something on you for you to take him back when he deserted you, when he left you high and dry and married that woman, when he even lived in your house with her!"  
  
"Ashley, please. Do you think so little of me as to think that I would ever marry Rhett if I didn't know how sorry he was for his actions in the past? I love him! And he loves me. Please- be happy for me, this is what I've always wanted."  
  
Just as the words left Scarlett's mouth, Pittypat waddled into the room and let out a pleasured cry.  
  
"Scarlett!" she squealed.  
  
"Hello Auntie" Scarlett rose and gave Pitty a peck on the cheek.  
  
"What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming for a visit! I'll have the servants set up your old room right away-"  
  
"That's not necessary. I'm staying at my house."  
  
"Your house! But- but Captain Butler lives there" Scarlett tried not to giggle at the way her Aunt said Rhett's name like it was some grievous curse.  
  
"I know he lives there, Auntie. I live there with him now. We just got married and we're living there with Wade and Ella and our other daughter, Cat. I must bring her to see you soon but at the moment she's out with Wade and Ella."  
  
"You- you married Captain Butler? But, Scarlett he's such a scoundrel! Oh somebody do get my smelling salts!" Pitty wailed. Scarlett rolled her eyes and grabbed the familiar smelling salts off the side-table, waving them in front of her aunt, who was now lying on the settee frantically fanning herself.  
  
"Auntie, I know he's a scoundrel- but so am I so I don't mind."  
  
"Oh!" Pitty shrieked. Scarlett handed the salts to Ashley and rose to leave.  
  
"I'm sorry but I really have to go. I have a- um- lunchdate with Rhett." she said quickly and rushed out the door. All right, so she didn't exactly have a date with Rhett. But she couldn't stay in that house with Ashley's shocked, disapproving silence and Pittypat's wails and fake vapors any longer. Besides, Rhett would be happy to take her to lunch- so it wasn't exactly a lie. Happy with this rationalization, Scarlett made her way to Rhett's bank. She had never been to see him there before, and when she entered she hadn't a clue as to where he would be so she went to see the young man at the front desk.  
  
"I'm here to see Captain Butler, please." the young man eyed her up and down.  
  
"Captain Butler is a very busy man" he replied insolently  
  
"Yes, I know" Scarlett laughed a little confidential laugh. "I'm his wife."  
  
"You're not Mrs. Butler, I've see 'er and you're not her." Scarlett was surprised that somebody would even take that tone with a lady, not to mention upset at the reference to Anne. She was understandably growing madder by the minute.  
  
"Listen" she said through gritted teeth. "I do not need this right now. You go and tell him that Scarlett Butler is here to see him. Just do it!" After one more sidelong glance, the man went off down a long hallway. He soon returned with a sheepish look on his face.  
  
"Please accept my deepest apologies, Mrs. Butler." he mumbled "If you'll follow me I'll take you directly to your husband." Scarlett couldn't help but sneak in a snide look before she followed him down to an office door which Rhett swung open.  
  
"Hello, darling, I wasn't expecting you." he said smoothly. The clerk turned a deep shade of crimson and rushed back down the hallway. "What was that all about?" Rhett asked, closing the door behind the two of them. Scarlett didn't answer but instead threw herself into his arms so that her feet were dangling a few inches of the floor. He staggered back a step, and, after regaining his footing, held her close to his chest.  
  
"Sorry" Scarlet whispered, looking up at him with wet green eyes. "I needed that."  
  
"What's wrong, my love? I suppose your little talk with Ashley didn't go well?" He set Scarlett down on his chair and perched above her on the desk.  
  
"No- it didn't go well at all. He was pretty mad."  
  
"And just what right does he have to get mad at you?"  
  
"I didn't say he was mad at me, Rhett. He was mad at you. I'm pretty sure he thinks you don't- deserve me. Which just goes to show how he never really knew me. I- I don't want to think about it right now, Rhett, is that all right"  
  
"Of course it is, my pet. Do you want to go out to lunch or something?"  
  
"I'd love to!" Scarlett laughed, causing Rhett to look at her oddly. "This office is so beautiful" she said, looking around for the first time at the sumptuous leather chairs, richly embossed wallpaper and the various other decorations. It almost reminded her off her study back at Ballyahara- it was obviously decorated with quite a deal of money but still remained tasteful, unlike the Peachtree Street house. "I had no idea it was so nice here."  
  
"Yes, well it didn't used to be. I spent a lot of time here when I was married to Anne."  
  
"I hope you won't be running off here to escape from me!"  
  
"Now why would I ever want to escape from you, my pet?"  
  
"I don't know at the moment but I'm sure we'll make up some reasons. Let's go eat, I'm positively starved.  
  
Soon they were settled at a table at the National Hotel and over the course of their meal Scarlett related the whole episode at Pittypat's to Rhett.  
  
"I'm sorry you had to do that, Scarlett." he said when she had finished. "I wish I could tell you that was the worst of it, but Atlanta's going to be very surprised when they hear about this latest installment in our little saga."  
  
"Don't let's talk about it anymore, Rhett." Scarlett said, eager to get off the subject.  
  
"Capital idea."  
  
"Now about the house-" she started  
  
"The house?"  
  
"Yes. I was being perfectly honest when I said yesterday that I want to change everything about the decor. It's a perfect mess in there, even Cat saw it! Why in the world didn't you change it when I was away?"  
  
Rhett looked at her with a wistful expression and said softly "I was waiting for you."  
  
"Oh" breathed Scarlett. "Well- that's a very good answer, Mr. Butler." she smiled.  
  
"I thought you would like that, Mrs. Butler." Rhett murmured, leaning across the table so that he was much closer then was really proper, not that Scarlett was complaining. "Is there anything stopping me from kissing you mad right now?" he asked, his voice again soft but this time with a seductive lilt to it.  
  
"Mmm-hmm" Scarlett said with a nod, looking over his shoulder. "Sadly there is."  
  
"And what would that be?" Rhett's mouth twisted into that half-frown that she knew so well.  
  
"Don't look now but Mrs. Merriweather just came in and she's staring right at us."  
  
"Well that's very unfortunate." He leaned back against his seat once again. "I bet she doesn't look happy?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
"Outraged is probably more like it."  
  
"Most definitely." Scarlett agreed. "You know- you never did tell me what the gossip about us was, as I'm certain there was a great deal of gossip about us."  
  
"I think pretty much everything was covered- you ran off with another man, I was beating you... everything you could imagine though the majority of it was in your favor. I suppose that makes you happy"  
  
"Well..." Scarlett grinned. "Oh she's coming over- shh!"  
  
Dolly Merriweather, one third of the Old Guard Triumvirate, was standing at the table in a moment, red with indignation and looking down her nose at Rhett.  
  
"If you'll excuse us, Captain Butler" she said in her pious air "I must have a word with Scarlett."  
  
"Aah- yes- well, I'll just be... over there." Rhett rose with a wink to his wife and crossed the room to watch and wonder what the Old Cat was saying about him. Mrs. Merriweather promptly sat down in his vacated seat across from Scarlett.  
  
"Scarlett what in God's name are you doing with that vulgar man? Why he hasn't been received in any decent place in Atlanta since he- well- you know... Anyway! He's been a beast to you- oh don't be embarrassed, dear, we're all behind you. To come here with that Hampton woman! There was a time I thought he had changed for the better, when I saw how he was with your darling little daughter, but I was wrong. He's just as horrid, just as nasty now as he was during The War- perhaps even more so!"  
  
"Please- don't go on Mrs. Merriweather." Scarlett interjected. "I really don't care to sit here and here my husband- yes that's right, my husband- insulted."  
  
"Your husband! Why, Scarlett, if your dear mother were here-"  
  
"Pray don't speak to me of my mother. The fact of the matter is she's not here and I am married to Captain Butler. If you'll please excuse me..." Scarlett got up and walked over to Rhett, took his proffered arm, and walked out the front door. "She makes me feel positively... sixteen again!" she proclaimed when they were outside.  
  
"At least we don't have to tell anybody else we got married now. If Mrs. Merriweather knows then the whole of Atlanta will know by dinner."  
  
"I guess that is one good thing." Scarlett agreed. "There are two more people I need to tell, though." Rhett looked at her closely and nodded.  
  
"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked.  
  
"No I need to go alone. I made Wade and Ella promise to bring Cat back by one, could you meet them there? I don't know if I'll be done that soon."  
  
"Sure. You don't have to go, Scarlett-"  
  
"No, no, I want to." Rhett smiled a bit sadly and walked off down to their house. After buying two bouquets of flowers, Scarlett walked to the graveyard. She stopped at the far-too-small grave that read "Eugenia Victoria "Bonnie" Butler"and knelt down before it, laying the first bouquet at it. She noticed with no surprise that Bonnie's plot was one of the best kept in the cemetery.  
  
"Hi, Sweetie." whispered Scarlett as she ran her hand over the cool stone. "Sorry I haven't been to see you for so long- I was in Ireland where your Grandpa was from, you never met him but you were a lot like him in many ways. But I'm sure your Daddy came to see you lots, didn't her? Daddy and I are back together, isn't that wonderful? I just know you would be so happy about it. And Daddy- he's much better now. He was so sad when you had to leave, baby. He's still sad but he's moving on finally- we both are. Not that we're forgetting you, honey, we could never do that. You'll always, always, be in our hearts. Oh, Bonnie, I wish you could have been a big sister to Cat. You would have been such a good big sister. I love you, sweetheart. I'll come visit you soon- promise. And maybe I'll bring KittyCat by."  
  
She placed a kiss on the stone and rose, walking over to a small, simple slab marked "Melanie Hamilton Wilkes" where she lay down the other bouquet and sat down on the ground.  
  
"Thank you, Melly. Thank you so much for helping me see what was right in front of me the whole time. I probably would never have known I loved Rhett if you hadn't told me he loved me. I'm together with him now, Melly, and I'm so happy. All I ever wanted was to be happy- and now I am. I'm married to the man of my dreams- my soulmate- I have wonderful children. Cat and Ella are two of the best daughters anyone could ask for and Wade... Oh, Melly, to be honest I don't know what to do with Wade. You would've known- you were always so good with him. He- he's so resentful of Rhett but he's never said an unkind word to me. I'll figure something out though, don't you worry."  
  
"Melly it's so strange being back together with Rhett. Some days I'll wake up and forget all that's happened, think I'm still in Ireland. Then there are the times when I worry that it's all been a wonderful dream and I'll have to wake up and go on living without him. But I know it's not a dream, I know this is going to last forever because I love him and he loves me- and in the end that's all you need isn't it? I never knew I could be so full of love. I never thought I could be so... blissfully happy. But I miss you, Melly, I miss you every day. I wish so much that I could just talk to you- just one more time. I'm sorry I haven't kept my promise to you to look after Ashley and Beau, I know you understand why I couldn't. I'm back now and I'm going to make good on that promise. I'll look after them and you'll look after Bonnie, won't you? I love you, Melly."  
  
Scarlett brushed the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks away and got up to walk back to her house. 


End file.
